Pirate Battalion Cadets Honor 9/11 Heroes

Pirate Battalion Cadets attend SHU 9/11 Memorial Mass

On September 15, 2023, Seton Hall’s Pirate Battalion visited the NYPD’s Intelligence & Counterterrorism Bureau. The mission was to gain a deeper knowledge of the events that transpired on 9/11 and the role of the heroes who moved to danger that morning. They were greeted by Mr. John Gordon of the NYPD's Intelligence Division, who gave the cadets a presentation on how the attacks unfolded. Mr. Gordon helped the cadets to understand how 9/11 led the NYPD to change drastically in order to accommodate for a new world that needed ever more surveillance to protect its citizens. The battalion got to learn about the individual stories of those brave men and women of the NYPD and how deeply it affected those people who risked it all. One particular story of note was that of Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer, who demonstrated courageous leadership by facilitating his firefighting team and NYPD to evacuate and save as many lives as possible. On this topic, cadet Conolly said, “I can’t ever imagine being in a position where there is absolute chaos and destruction all over you, and still have the capacity to lead the FDNY.”  After the presentation the Battalion quickly reorganized for their 9/11 museum tour at the World Trade Center. 

Cadets visit National 9/11 Museum in NYC

The 9/11 memorial museum is a place full of artifacts and displays that serve as vessels for personal experiences on that day. It was not immediately apparent to the cadets that the museum itself was built on the foundation of the Twin Towers. The steps that were taken to go down into the museum were sometimes parallel to the stairs one would have taken on the actual north and south towers. Many of the cadets in the Pirate Battalion had not yet been born at the time of the September 11th attacks.  One such cadet, cadet Gomez, shared her experience at the museum, saying, “Even though I wasn’t even born during this time I feel incredibly sad being here. It really makes it real and not just a page in a history book.”  The museum is set up so that visitors move in one direction and pictures or video recordings are shown in chronological order. One display that stood out to the cadets was the panel showing the route that Brooklyn firefighters had to run once their engines got stuck in traffic. This was important because it provided some background and context for the Tunnels to Towers 5k that the Battalion ran the following week.

Pirate Battalion at Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Memorial 5K

On September 24th the Pirate battalion ran the Tunnels to Towers Foundation’s annual 5k. The mission was to instill a sense of appreciation for those first responders who were at the scene the morning of September 11th, and who gave the ultimate sacrifice to save others.

 The event was full of participants whose lives had been impacted by 9/11.  The Tunnels to Towers Foundation dedicates this run to firefighter Stephen Siller who, on his day off, reported to his fire station in Brooklyn to gear up and go towards the burning towers. On his way towards Lower Manhattan, traffic in the tunnels was at a standstill. Siller got out of his vehicle, donned 70lbs of firefighting equipment, and ran through the tunnel to get to his fellow first responders. Stephen Siller would lose his life saving others from the burning buildings. This event honors his sacrifice and the sacrifices of many other 9/11 first responders. At the event attendees were wearing their fire fighting kits, their police uniforms, and many service members were running in full kit. The race began on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Tunnel and ended between Murray St and West St in Manhattan. At the exit of the tunnels there were West Point Cadets greeting the runners with American flags, lining the sides of the route for the rest of the race. Past the finish line the event concluded with the CEO of the foundation and Stephen’s brother, Frank Siller, giving a moving speech on the importance of courage and leadership.  This event served as a critical learning experience for the Pirate Battalion, a lesson on service, leadership and courage.