Former NYPD chief shares 9/11 reflections on Hilton Head

by Steven Glover

HILTON HEAD, Sc. (WTOC) -Community members gathered on Hilton Head Island Friday evening to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In a packed, somber room hosted by the Hilton Head Island Republican Club, attendees paused to honor the 2,977 lives lost a quarter-century ago.

During the remembrance ceremony, attendees paid tribute to the courage of first responders and individually spoke the names of victims into the room to ensure their memories live on.

“We wanted to do something that really reflects and to honor the sacrifice of so many lives that were lost,” said Hilton Head island Republican club president Jacob Dotson. “And to make sure that this story is told for generations to come.”

Among those sharing their firsthand reflections was retired New York City Police Department Assistant Chief Chuck Dowd, who recalled standing in Brooklyn on that fateful morning when the city’s fire headquarters mobilized its executive leadership.

“Lights and sirens came out racing out of fire headquarters,” Dowd said. “Within an hour and a half, everyone but one person in those three cars were dead. That’s an image that I can never get out of my head.”

As a quarter of a century passes, Dowd urged schools and society to continue teaching younger generations about the attacks, emphasizing that remembrance is essential to preserving American history.

“This wasn’t just about New York or Washington; this was an attack on America,” Dowd said. “It’s important for us to remember that and to celebrate it, in a sense on the anniversary, because without that, we lose our history.”

Organizers noted that preserving these stories not only honors the sacrifices of first responders who ran toward danger, but also reminds future generations of the national unity that emerged from the country’s darkest hour.