Add The New York Post on Google The NYPD honored 14 members of its elite Emergency Service Unit killed on 9/11 with a memorial wall rededication featuring one of the fallen cops’ service weapons recovered from the rubble of Ground Zero.
The newly refurbished memorial unveiled Tuesday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack includes photographs and names of 45 ESU officers killed in the line of duty — including 14 who rushed into the collapsing Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
“Each name on this wall represents a person who dedicated their own life to the protection of others,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, while showcasing the memorial wall inside the ESU training center at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn.
The memorial lists every fallen officer who died keeping New Yorkers safe, alongside their photo and a nameplate.
“This wall is not merely wood, pictures and nameplates. It is a permanent reminder that the highest traditions of the Emergency Service Unit are written in the very lives of those who gave everything in the line of duty,” ESU commanding officer Assistant Chief Gerard Dowling said.
Officers who died due to 9/11-related illnesses were also remembered during the service Tuesday.
Among the ESU officers honored was police officer John D’Allara, who lost his life rushing into the World Trade Center to try to save those stuck inside nearly 25 years ago.
D’Allara’s service weapon, recovered from the rubble, was featured as part of the memorial.
“The ceremony was beautifully done,” D’Allara’s widow Carol D’Allara told The Post. “It was an honorable tribute to my husband and the other heroes who were honored today.”
The ESU is an elite, specially-trained division of the NYPD whose officers are tasked with carrying out risky operations ranging from hostage situations and building collapses to water rescues and disaster relief.
The “world-renowned” cops make up the majority of the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11, the police commissioner said.
“On 9/11, when thousands of lives were at risk, ESU officers were the tip of the NYPD’s spear. They fought to get as many people out of those buildings as possible – while they themselves ran in,” Tisch said.
But the bravery of the specialized officers during the 9/11 terrorist attacks “did not come without a price,” ESU commanding officer Assistant Chief Gerard Dowling said.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks were one of the deadliest days in ESU’s history.
The elite crew lost 14 members on the morning alone, nearly as many as had been killed in the prior 70 years it existed before 2001.
