Even the sun decided to peak out of the storm clouds to witness the beautiful 9/11 memorial ceremony that took place in front of the Manorhaven Village Hall on Sunday, July 31. 
The muscle behind this operation, Troop 7 Eagle-Scout-to-be Kyle Delio, along with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, spent months organizing this event, which began with the raising of an enormous flag to watch over the dedication. Members of the Port Authority and bystanders alike stood in awe while the color guard began their traditional salutes in memory of Port Authority member Antonio José Rodrigues, alumni of Paul. D. Schreiber High School, and many others who perished in the tragedy of 9/11. Father Stephan Peterson of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Manorhaven began with a blessing for the occasion and monument.
He expressed, “Let it always be a sacred space to remember all of our loved ones. Let it be a place of quiet reflection and prayer, a place of holy memories to bring comfort and peace to all those who come here.” The Rodrigues family is among those for whom this monument was erected; for there to be a spot where the memory of their beloved Antonio will be immortalized.
Delio introduced the members of Antonio Rodrigues’ family: Christina, Sarah, Adam, Carlos and Miguel Rodrigues, who attended the memorial on Sunday supported by many members of the friends and family. He presented Sarah, Antonio’s daughter, and Christina, Antonio’s wife, with flowers, before continuing on to tell the stirring story of one man’s bravery in the face of unimaginable peril. “Antonio Rodrigues was stationed at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan when the attack occurred on the Twin Towers,” Delio recounted. “He and 14 other officers commandeered one of the regular commuter buses and raced down to the trade center. Upon arrival, Sergeant John McLoughlin asked for volunteers to go into the South Tower basement to retrieve oxygen masks.” Out of the five courageous souls who risked their lives in that act of bravery, only two came out alive. Delio’s recount of Antonio’s life was moving; onlookers could see his passion for communicating the importance of Antonio’s sacrifice, as well as that of the rest of Port Washington’s officers and residents’ who perished during the attack at the hands of the malevolent.
Delio got his inspiration to put his all into this community project from his grandfather, Joseph Fico, who is an executive director for the Port Authority. Delio was the leader in the plans for the creation of this memorial, raising more than $5,000 and receiving various donations that went to the construction of the plaque and foundation. The impressive rock that was used as a basis for the memorial has a local origin, right from Luckenbach Lane in Sands Point. The many months of hard work paid off for Delio and the rest of the team, as the memorial is a conspicuous reminder of Antonio Rodrigues and everyone else who gave their lives to protect the freedom of our country. In the words of another executive director of Port Authority, Pat Foye, “I think it’s really important to remember those personal stories, that aren’t in the statistics and the history books. It’s really important on a local level in a village like Manorhaven to memorialize the loss of Officer Rodrigues and others in Port Washington and Manorhaven that we lost that day.”
by Amelia Cardone
