Eastern Connecticut State University

25 years later: Eastern remembers victims of 9/11

Chief DeLia: 'Please never forget'

Willimantic, CT (09/11/2026) — "For those of us who experienced that day, so much of it remains vivid," said Eastern Connecticut State University President Karim Ismaili on the 25th anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Eastern hosted a remembrance ceremony at its hillside amphitheater, where 2,977 American flags fluttered in the breeze in honor of the lives lost that day.

The remembrance activities began at Eastern's Foster Clock Tower, which chimed at 8:46, 9:03, 9:36, and 10:03 a.m., the times of four attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, PA.

Following the fourth bell toll, attendees observed a moment of silence for victims and families, followed by remarks from President Ismaili, Connecticut State Representative Susan Johnson, and keynote speaker Nicholas Delia, retired fire chief for the City of Groton.

Members of the campus community closed the event by reading the names of the nearly 3,000 people who perished.

Ismaili recalled living in Queens 25 years ago on the morning of the attacks. Amid the chaos, he and others began shuttling survivors to Jamaica Station, helping commuters escape by train.

"I will never forget one man who sat in my car, shaking and crying," he said. "I really didn't know what to say. We sat in silence, but when we arrived at the station, we hugged, and I held back my tears."

Ismaili's wife, Wendy, owned a small cafe in Queens. On Sept. 11, 2001, victims walked up to 17 miles from Manhattan, some stopping at the cafe. The Ismailis remember customers still covered in ash and dust; some of their usual customers - who worked in lower Manhattan - never returned.

"That weekend, Wendy and I went downtown. We needed to see for ourselves what we were struggling to understand," he said. "I remember the lights, the chaos, and the posters of the missing."

Ismaili related his own experience to that of hundreds of thousands of others: "We each carry different images, different names, and different moments from that day."

He also acknowledged that most of today's college students do not share those memories. "For most of our students, September 11 is history rather than memory. That makes what we are doing here especially important."

Chief Nicholas DeLia, a 45-year veteran of Connecticut's fire and EMS service, delivered the keynote remarks.

"It was a beautiful day. In New York, there wasn't a cloud in the sky," said DeLia, who served 21 years as the fire chief for the City of Groton.

The career firefighter spoke highly of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) for their heroism and bravery. He also commented on their long-standing workplace culture.

"Their culture is 'What are we doing?' 'Where are we going?' and 'We're going together,'" he said of the FDNY's commitment to the job and to each other. DeLia stated that 343 firefighters lost their lives at Ground Zero, with many more to follow from 9/11-related illnesses.

In addition to the nearly 3,000 who died that day, DeLia said approximately 400,000 were exposed to toxic substances and continue to perish to this day from cancer and other illnesses.

"We lost our innocence," he said of the country. "We went to war - four presidencies worth of war."

As for his fire department in Groton: "What did we want to do? We wanted to go. That's how we're wired."

DeLia said that many first responders from Connecticut and neighboring states rushed into Manhattan on their own to lend a hand. Through the grief and hardship, DeLia said he saw the country truly come together. "There was a general kindness, and overwhelming patriotism," he said.

The fire chief left the podium urging the largely student audience to never forget; to work hard and to learn their jobs deeply; and to live with commitment and resilience.

State Representative Susan Johnson discusses some of the legacies and lasting impacts of 9/11. The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were created directly in the aftermath of the attacks, ushering in an era of heightened national security that we still live in today.

She also urged students and community members to support local first responders. "Our police and fire departments have been there - they're stable, and we need to continue to make sure that we thank them and support them," said Johnson.

The event concluded with a performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Eastern Chamber Singers, followed by a reading of the names of each of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, read by members of the Eastern community.

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025-26 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.