Villages of Homer & McGraw Honor Trooper Bilodeau During 9/11 Ceremonies

Wednesday evening, both the Village of Homer and the Village of McGraw held their respective 9/11 ceremonies to honor those who have died and those who have either died or are still suffering from the terror attacks in New York City, Washington DC, and Shanksville Pennsylvania.

The Village of Homer hosted their ceremony at 6pm at the 9/11 Memorial next to the Homer Fire Department. Members from several fire & police agencies as well as elected officials attended the event with the master of ceremonies being Gary McEuen, past Fire Chief of the Homer Fire Department and US Air Force Veteran.

This year’s guest speaker was Deputy Mayor of the Village of Homer, Pat Clune, retired Lt Colonel US Army and Veteran of the War on Terror. Clune spoke to the large crowd on the loss of his friend and New York City Firefighter from Engine Company 23, Mark Whitford. Whitford died on 9/11 when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. Engine Company 23 of the FDNY would lose 6 firefighters on that day.

“We tell and re-tell our stories of September 11th, not to scare, but to highlight to another generation that in times of horror, mayhem, and confusion, that there are those that will step-up. Heedless of the danger. Today we honor and remember the sacrifices of those that gave-up themselves to rescue others.”
Deputy Mayor Pat Clune said.

Both ceremonies were dedicated to retired New York State Trooper, Steven Bilodeau, who served with the New York State Police for 32 years. Trooper Bilodeau died back in August from an illness stemming from his dedication and service at Ground Zero following the September 11th Attacks. In his career, Bilodeau assisted wherever he could and earned numerous awards, including New York State Trooper of the Year and Lawmen of the Year.

Guest speakers for the Village of McGraw included Mayor Joe Nauseef, and James Caufied, retiree from the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office, and former Chief of Police for the Village of McGraw. The Village of McGraw additionally added Trooper Bilodeau’s name to their First Responder Memorial.