Town unveils memorial to Michael Uliano, 9/11 victims

Members of the Uliano family (l-r): Michael’s brother Mark, sister Michelle, niece Clancy Krueger, brother Matt and niece Sweden Culver (Mary Ellen Cahill photo)

They said he would never be forgotten, and ten years later, the town of Canton made good on its promise as community leaders held a special remembrance ceremony Sunday morning at Veterans Memorial Park in honor of Michael Uliano and the nearly 3,000 others who lost their lives in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Uliano, a native of Canton and a 1978 graduate of Canton High School, was among the 658 employees of Cantor Fitzgerald who perished in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on that unforgettable September morning in 2001. He was only 42 when he died, leaving behind his wife, Linda, his mother, Gail, eight siblings and a large extended family.

Many of those family members, along with several friends and current residents, attended Sunday’s ceremony in Canton, which coincided with the 10^th anniversary of the attacks and featured a series of heartfelt speeches and presentations.

Organized by Selectmen Chairman John Connolly — a lifelong friend and former classmate of Uliano’s — the event also served as the official unveiling of a permanent granite memorial commissioned in Uliano’s honor. Joining the rest of the town’s war monuments is now a striking re-creation of the twin towers, designed by Canton architect Greg Pando and topped by two plaques whose inscriptions were prepared by Fire Chief Charlie Doody.

Pando, who spoke during the ceremony, said his intention was to select an “iconic image that would stand the test of time.” He also designed a fractured granite ground to “attest to the violence of that day” and was pleased to inform the crowd that the granite was mined from a small quarry outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania — near the crash site of the fourth hijacked plane, United 93.

The ceremony itself began at 8:46 a.m. to coincide with the moment that the first plane struck the North Tower.

Connolly then introduced a succession of speakers, all of whom touched on Uliano’s remarkable character and his seemingly endless array of talents.

Tony Andreotti, the town’s veterans’ agent, noted how the Andreotti and Uliano families have been close for several generations, and he recalled coaching Michael in the early days of Canton Pop Warner.

Andreotti described him as a “great offensive player, a great defensive player, and a great leader.”

“I like to visualize Michael in those towers, and I think what I see is a young man looking out for everyone else,” he said. “He was a leader, and I think he showed it in the towers that day. At least that’s the way I want to remember him.”

Congressman Stephen Lynch also spoke at the event, and though he did not know Uliano personally, he had heard enough about him to know that he was a “young man of incredible talent.”

“He was gifted — artistically, intellectually, socially,” Lynch said. “He had it all.”

Police Chief Ken Berkowitz offered similar words of praise, describing Uliano as a “model for what all good Americans should be.”

“He was a son, a brother, a husband, a loyal friend, a football player, an actor, a fisherman, a soldier, a businessman and a Cantonite,” said Berkowitz.

“Michael was full of life,” added Connolly as he reminisced about his friend. “He loved to act, dance, sing, cook, and he loved to fish. Boy, did he love to fish.”

Another friend and classmate, Kevin Cook, remembered the fun times he had with Uliano as members of the CHS drama club. Now retired from the Navy, Cook brought the crowd to tears when he presented a special flag to the family that he had brought home from Afghanistan and that was “flown defiantly in the face of the enemy in memory of Michael Uliano.”

Also speaking on behalf of Michael were his younger brothers Mark and Matt. All three Uliano boys had played quarterback for the Bulldogs and all three had donned No. 10 — a number that has since been retired at CHS.

“He was an awesome brother,” said Mark. “He was a proud son. He loved Canton, and I want everyone who is here today to know that.”

He also read a letter that had been prepared by Michael’s oldest niece, Sweden Culver, which remembered his “unabashed zest for life” and his “one-of-a-kind” personality. The letter asked that family and friends try not to focus on his loss, but instead to “celebrate the love we have for him.”

Each of the speakers also paid tribute to the thousands of other victims on September 11, including the 343 New York City firefighters and 61 police officers who died that day. Congressman Lynch reminded the audience how emergency workers continued “going up the stairs while everyone else was going down.”

He said he recently heard a recording of a radio transmission sent by a firefighter who had gone as far as the 82^nd floor of the South Tower, which collapsed just before 10 a.m.

“With superhuman courage and determination, they climbed 82 floors in an office tower to rescue as many people as they could,” said Lynch.

Chief Doody also recognized the four firefighters from Engine 6 in New York who died during the rescue effort. The Canton Fire Department’s Engine 6 has since been dedicated in honor of those four men.

“It’s important that those of us who are old enough never forget the sacrifices of that day,” Doody said.

Also participating in the remembrance ceremony were state Representative Bill Galvin, who recognized the sacrifices of public safety workers and praised the town of Canton for remembering Uliano every September 11, and Canton native Bryan K. Parrish, the assistant vicar for the Archdiocese of Boston, who delivered the opening and closing prayers and led the crowd in singing God Bless America.

Afterwards, the Uliano family could not say enough about the “wonderful” ceremony, the beautiful monument, and the people and community that came together in honor of their beloved brother, uncle and friend.

“You know,” said Mark Uliano, “they say it takes a village to bring up a family and it’s true. The people of Canton helped shape Michael’s character and helped him grow as a person. And that’s why today I’m so honored to be a Cantonite and so proud to be an American.”

Check out the photo gallery for scenes from Canton’s 9/11 ceremony.

Share This Post

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=8027