With the New York City skyline glowing from rays of a late-summer sunset, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Approximately 150 guests, including notable names like vice presidential candidate JD Vance, attended EANGUS’ black tie 9/11 Remembrance Gala 102 stories up at One World Observatory.
“When I think about not just those who lost their lives on 9/11 but all those who lost their lives responding to it in the aftermath and the war on terror, what an amazing testament it is to our country and our people,” Vance, a Marine veteran, said to the audience. “We have people who are willing to put on the uniform and pay the ultimate sacrifice and fight for us. And I think that’s what this evening is ultimately about, serving the warriors and serving the people who made it possible — and still make it possible — for us to live in the greatest country in the history of the world.”
The evening kicked off with performances of “America the Beautiful” by Sean Whiteford and the national anthem by Jasha Woodall before a cocktail hour and silent auction. It was followed by a three-course meal and several speakers.
Marine veteran Gavin Goode of SemperFly Studios unveiled his large-scale painting of the Statue of Liberty on copper during the fundraising event, while director Jake Rademacher played the trailer for his yet-to-be-released documentary called “Brothers After War.”
“It feels very important to return to the source, to Ground Zero, and share the trailer,” said Rademacher, who embedded with his brothers’ units in Iraq as a filmmaker. “To me it was so important to come back, because [Sept. 11] was the defining moment of our generation. This was the catalyst for so many service members dedicating so many years of service.”
Retired Navy Capt. Robert Bellitto, former commander of the destroyer USS Briscoe, detailed getting his ship out to sea without orders on Sept. 11, ready to go to war. FDNY Battalion Chief John Plant spoke of his personal remembrances of that day. Former EANGUS president and Connecticut Guardsman Dan Reilly spoke on the sacrifices that guardsmen have made since Sept. 11, while actor Al Sapienza from “The Sopranos” recounted the story of how The Star-Spangled Banner came to be.
Sapienza, the son of a WWII veteran and a Sept. 11 cleanup volunteer, also serenaded the audience with renditions of “Sweet Caroline” and “The Prayer” with “Dallas” actress Deborah Rennard.
“It’s an honor for a guy like me who is an entertainer to do whatever I can for people who are willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,” Sapienza said. “I’m happy to be here, and it’s my pleasure.”
The sentiment seemed to be a common theme of the night. Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Denise Jelinski-Hall, a former senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, said she “felt like a princess” from the moment she walked into the venue.
“This was a five-star-studded event,” Jelinski-Hall said. “This building and all that it represents — it just gives me chills, because I know and understand the sacrifice that our National Guard soldiers and airmen and their families have made over the last 23 years.”
Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” and “Cheers” fame, who both spoke and sang at the gala, called the evening “a great education.”
“I have a deep respect for the National Guard and remember seeing them when we had the Watts Riots [in Los Angeles in 1965],” said Grammer, whose grandfather was in the Army Corps of Engineers in Guadalcanal during WWII. “My understanding after tonight, of course, is that the service is profound and sometimes long and active. It’s quite impressive.”
EANGUS’ first 9/11 gala will most definitely turn into a second, said Reilly, the chairman of the National Guard Relief Foundation. He envisions the next gala at perhaps the Jefferson Library, or even coupled with a trip to the National Guard Monument in Normandy, France.
“The National Guard has been the nation’s 911 call for everything, going into natural disasters, domestic responses and border patrol, all while still having to go overseas for deployments,” he said. “I’ve watched where the Guard was — I joined in ’98 — and I saw that transformation happen. It’s just never been the same since Sept. 11.”
