Volunteers care for graves of 9/11 first responders at Calverton for 'Carry the Load'

A lone bagpiper stood in the vast field of Section 11 at Calverton National Cemetery Saturday morning, the unmistakable strains of "God Bless America" echoing from his instrument.

Thomas Fritz, 62, a Ronkonkoma native, played in front of the gravestone of his uncle, World War II veteran William Fritz, and to honor his friends killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Memorial cards with pictures of those FDNY firefighter comrades were tied to the bagpipe's drone. 

"Wherever I pipe, I have my pipes dressed with them," said Fritz, who lives in Florida and traveled to New York for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

As Fritz played his pipes, more than 100 volunteers spread out throughout the cemetery to dig up weeds in planting beds as part of National Day of Service and Remembrance. A partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration and Carry the Load, a Texas-based nonprofit founded in 2011, the day of volunteer work honors the many first responders who died on 9/11.

More than 100 national cemeteries across the United States participated in the occasion with about 15,000 volunteers expected, according to Samuel Brown, the undersecretary for Memorial Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who spoke at the Calverton ceremony before volunteers broke into groups and headed to different sections of the 1,045-acre cemetery.

"We're truly grateful that you're here with us to perform an act of service that honors the fallen and demonstrates the unity and resilience of our nation," said cemetery director Anne Ellis.

In Section 5, Debbie Roth and her husband, Dan Mendelsohn, both of Stony Brook, grabbed buckets and demonstrated how to use the weeding tools for their sons Luke, 9, and Aaron, 6.

Roth said as the family drove to the cemetery they discussed the meaning behind the day, the importance of remembering people who ran toward danger as well and those who died.

"But also the day after," she said. "I want to stress with them how people came together."

Lucy and Mike Bonney, of Sayville, filled buckets nearby in the same section.

"I'm giving back to the people who gave their lives to keep us safe," Lucy Bonney said. 

She recalled how her father worked at New York University on 9/11 and was one of the thousands of people who walked across a bridge to escape Manhattan and began a long journey back home to Bayport.

In a nearby section, Ronan Walter, 18, and his brother Christopher, 16, both East Hampton High School students, worked alongside their parents, Christine and Jeff. 

Ronan said one of his uncles who lived in New York City during 9/11 has shared stories to help them understand what it was like.

"He made sure we knew that day to really never forget it," he said.

His mother, whose birthday is Sept. 11, added: "We're happy to serve and pay our respects."

Cassandra Arnette, 13, of Miller Place, helped clean along with other members of Girl Scout Troop 1186.

"I think it's really good that even as kids today, we still take interest in trying to learn about this event and that it will be remembered," she said. 

Elizabeth Sagarin contributed to this story.