On March 11, two firefighters from the Syosset Volunteer Fire Department represented Syosset at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Nassau County Memorial to the victims of September 11. Firefighters James Thomas and Robert Camarda joined the ranks of the color guard at the solemn ceremony, which was attended by President Gerorge W. Bush, Governor George Pataki, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi.

Firefighters Thomas and Camarda were chosen by the Chief's Office of the Syosset Volunteer Fire Department to represent the firefighters of Syosset who serve and protect their neighbors and their community. Thomas, better known as "Mootsie" to his friends and neighbors, is a 55-year veteran of Emergency Company #4. Camarda, who resides in the South Grove section of town, has been a member of Engine Company #5 for two years.

The ceremony was a quiet one with the music of drums and bagpipes accompanying the inaugural shovel of dirt at the site as well as prayers offered by two clergymen. The memorial will sit on a hill overlooking a pond and will contain two 30-foot towers and a wall bearing the names of victims both from Nassau County and those with ties to the county. Two steel girders taken from the 9/11 wreckage will be embedded in the wall. The memorial is scheduled to be completed by next fall.

"I was most impressed and surprised that the President not only attended the event but also took the time to shake the hand of every person at the ceremony," said Camarda. "And that was after the cameras had left!"

"I've met three Presidents now, Bush, Nixon, and Eisenhower," said Thomas, "and it's still a thrill and an honor. You don't meet a President every day."

On September 11 and in the days immediately following the attacks, the Syosset Fire Department maintained a constant presence on the scene, with rotating technical rescue teams assisting in various aspects of the recovery operation.

SFD Chief of Department Richard Roseo commented, "We were honored to have these two gentlemen represent us at the ceremony. In the presence of President Bush, their role in the color guard showed our support of the county memorial and the families of the 9/11 victims."