Mahopac students visit 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Museum

MAHOPAC, N.Y. —A group of Mahopac High School students had a memorable experience when they walked through a multimedia exhibit to view artifacts from the site of the Twin Towers and to listen to stories about some of the men and women who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Through a partnership with the town of Carmel, on Sept. 26, the students visited the emotional 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit, which pays tribute and educates people about the tragic events of that day, when terrorists flew planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in NYC and the Pentagon in Washington. (Terrorists also hijacked a fourth plane, but passengers fought back and made it crash to prevent it from hitting its target.)

The exhibit got a multi-agency escort to the Mahopac firehouse on Route 6, arriving on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and opening the following day. Mahopac students were the first of four groups to visit the museum. It was open to first responders on the evening of Sept. 26, Carmel HS students during the day on Friday, Sept. 27, and the general public that evening.

The students listened intently as volunteer speaker Bill Puckett shared the famous “Tunnel to Towers” story of Stephen Siller, the firefighter who strapped 60 pounds of firefighting equipment to his back and ran through the closed Brooklyn Battery Tunnel in his effort to get to the Towers, where he ultimately lost his life while helping others to safety.

“I appreciate having the opportunity to visit this museum,” Mahopac High School student Adam Geller said. “It was shocking to hear the dispatch from firefighters on that day suddenly go silent and knowing that was when the first tower fell. But it is heartwarming to know [the emergency responders] put their lives at risk to protect the community.”

Mahopac public policy teacher Mike Douma explained how the visit to the 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit fit into his class’s current curriculum.

“We spend a week studying 9/11 and the legacy of policy that was a direct result of the attacks on that day,” Douma said. “The Patriot Act, TSA, and the Department of Homeland Security were all established in the wake of the events on September 11. This experience helps bring those tragic events to life and reinforces to our students why those policies were put in place.”

Article courtesy of Mahopac CSD with additions from Mahopac News