ROSCOE – The promise to “Never Forget” continues to be kept in Roscoe as the Roscoe-Rockland Volunteer Fire Department hosted a flag changing ceremony on June 7 honoring those who lost lives during the attacks on 9/11 with the display of the Ground Zero Flag Team artifacts.

The Ground Zero Flag Team is a symbolic group of artifacts consisting of an American flag that once flew over Ground Zero after the attacks of 9/11, a small piece of marble that was recovered from the rubble believed to be remnants of the South Tower lobby, and a logbook in which attendees were encouraged to sign and record their interaction with the Team.

The ceremony was opened by First Assistant Fire Chief Nate Routledge, along with a poem titled ‘Hello! Remember Me?’ written by Stew Cosentino, Vietnam 67-68, read aloud by Roscoe-Rockland VFD member Paul Miesner.

“It is a great honor that we have been able to receive the Ground Zero flag from the Ground Zero Flag Team,” said Routledge.

“This flag has gone all over the world. It has done several tours in Iraq ... it has a lot of history to it.”

The flag had flown at the Port Authority Police Department Command Center at Ground Zero, as well as in the rubble of the South Tower from the week after 9/11 until November 2, 2001.

Since then, it has served as a beacon to remind Americans both at home and abroad to “never forget.”

In accordance with the rules of the changing of the flag ceremony, the Stars and Stripes flew for at least nine minutes and eleven seconds over the fire department, with volunteers and residents standing in silent attention with somber remembrance.

Roscoe-Rockland VFD was joined in the ceremony by members of the Livingston Manor Fire Department, Roscoe-Rockland Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and a number of Roscoe residents.

Roscoe is only one stop on the Ground Zero Flag Team’s journey to its destination in Watertown, where they will be included in the New York Run for the Fallen event. The artifacts will be carried throughout the event and eventually make their way to Albany.

Roscoe-Rockland Volunteer Fire Department remains steadfast in their promise to “never forget” even after the departure of the Ground Zero Flag Team with their Survivor Tree from Ground Zero planted out front of the Firehouse, their memorial of a piece of steel recovered from 9/11, and a picture wall display of the 343 firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice that day.