‘Never forget’ means teaching their stories: Proposed state law would require September 11 education

SOMERS, N.Y. - Every life has a story.

Imagine having to tell 2,977 of them; that’s the total number of innocent civilians and heroic first responders who died on Sept. 11, 2001, during the terrorist attacks.

Three of them were from Somers.

George Bishop of Granite Springs was a 52-year-old father of two and a top executive with Aon Corp., whose offices were located at the World Trade Center.

He loved taking his sons to soccer games, going on beach vacations, hosting dinner parties, and listening to music.

According to personal accounts relayed by the Somers Historical Society, Bishop was the kind of person who would “bring you your papers on the way back from the office fax machine, or walk a seeing eye dog three times a day, as a favor, just to give it some exercise.”

Richard J. Klares, the 59-year-old son of a German immigrant who had laid tracks for the subway system and a stenographer, grew up in Harlem and the Bronx and married his high school sweetheart. He was known as a solid and ethical man, both morally and physically upright in the manner of the old school.

Klares, a risk engineer for Marsh & McLennan, was attending a meeting on factory safety when Tower 2 was struck. The company lost 295 employees and 63 consultants/contractors.

Joseph P. Spor Jr., 35, was following in his father’s footsteps when he joined the New York City Fire Department in 1994. He was assigned to Engine 88/Ladder 38 in the Bronx for seven years. Three weeks prior to the attacks‚ he had transferred to Rescue Company 3‚ fulfilling his lifelong dream.

He had been deployed to the South Tower of the World Trade Center to aid in its evacuation.

Known for his sense of humor, quick wit, and ever-present smile, Spor loved to work with his hands. He owned his own contracting business, specializing in woodworking and carpentry, and was in the midst of remodeling his Cape Cod house when he was killed.

FDNY colleagues took care of the siding and his father finished the deck.

One of 343 firefighters who perished in the line of duty that day, Spor left behind a wife and four young children, Casey Ann (then 6), Joseph Patrick (4), Shannon Catherine (2 1/2), and Caitlin Marie (9 months).

All grown up now, they carry the story of their dad’s bravery and sacrifice in their hearts.

‘NEVER FORGET’

It likely is another source of pride for Spor’s family, friends, and fellow firefighters that a proposed state law has been named in his honor.

Sponsored in the state Assembly by Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) and in the state Senate by Sen. Rob Rolison (R-Poughkeepsie), the bill is currently before both chambers’ education committees.

If passed, Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.’s Law would require the state education commissioner to establish Sept. 11 awareness curriculum or instruction for school districts.

The 9/11 Education Foundation has publicly supported the legislation and called on state leaders to advance the measure, Slater said, adding that it “sends a powerful message that ‘Never Forget’ cannot simply be something we say -- it has to be something we teach.”

“Twenty-five years ago, our nation witnessed unimaginable evil, but we also witnessed extraordinary courage, sacrifice and unity,” he said. “As the generation that remembers September 11 firsthand grows older, we have a responsibility to make sure those stories are never lost.”

According to Slater, the law would require instruction addressing the historical context of terrorism; the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93; America's recovery and response; the global consequences of the attacks; and the examples of heroism, resilience, and service that emerged during and after 9/11.

Educational resources must be age-appropriate, factually accurate, and sourced from reputable sources, according to the proposed legislation.

Rolison, a former police officer, said he would “never forget the courage of the first responders who ran toward danger, the innocent lives we lost or the extraordinary way Americans came together in the days that followed.”

“But for today’s students, September 11 is history, not a memory. We have a responsibility to share what happened that day, the sacrifices that were made and why we have vowed to never forget,” Rolison said, adding that he was proud to join Slater in sponsoring the law  “so that the lessons, heroism and legacy of September 11 continue to be passed from one generation of New Yorkers to the next.”

It’s been 25 years since the attacks and “fewer students have a personal connection to that day,” Slater explained.

Five 9/11 victims were from Yorktown, where Slater was raised. They were: Patrick Danahy, Simon Dedvukaj, Paul Fiori, Alan W. Friedlander, and Barry McKeon.

According to the bill’s sponsored, while approaches “vary significantly” nationwide, recent reporting found that 25 states currently have laws or education standards that require or expect public schools to provide instruction specifically on the Sept. 11 attacks.

For instance, Arizona law requires 9/11 instruction for students in grades seven through 12, while Florida law requires certain middle and high school courses to dedicate at least 45 minutes to instruction on the attacks.

A total of 123 Westchester County residents and former residents lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Rising Memorial at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla features 123 individual steel strands forming an unbroken circle. An additional memorial honors local police, firefighters, and medical personnel who survived the initial attacks but have since passed away from 9/11-related illnesses.

While there is no dedicated 9/11 monument at Lasdon Public Gardens & Veterans Memorial in Somers, the county park does feature a descendant of a Callery pear tree that survived the attacks.

 For the 9/11 Education Foundation and the family of 32-year-old FDNY Firefighter Thomas J. Foley of West Nyack in Rockland County, also a member of Rescue Company 3, preserving the history of September 11 is deeply personal.

(Foley loved riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, hunting, fishing, weightlifting, rodeo bull riding, and skydiving. He was also interested in modeling and acting.)

Foley’s brother Daniel and father, Tom, searched Ground Zero until Daniel found Thomas’s body on the 11th day.

They continued searching afterward to help other families bring their loved ones home, Slater said.

Tom Foley later died from 9/11-related leukemia in 2016, and Daniel Foley died from 9/11-related pancreatic cancer in 2020.

“The Foley family's story is a heartbreaking reminder that the consequences of September 11 did not end when the smoke cleared at Ground Zero,” Slater continued. “We owe it to the Foleys, the Spor family and every family who lost someone on that day or in the years since to preserve these stories. This should transcend politics. September 11 is part of our shared history, and teaching it to the next generation is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor those we lost.”

Slater and Rolison called on their colleagues in both houses of the Legislature to advance Firefighter Joseph P. Spor Jr.’s Law.

“Twenty-five years later, ‘Never Forget’ must be more than a phrase,” concluded Slater. “It must be a promise we keep by honoring the past, educating the future and ensuring the courage and sacrifice of September 11 are remembered for generations to come.”