9/11 victims: Reading of names may be discontinued

Family members of victims wept as the names of the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on Sept. 11 were read aloud during yesterday’s memorial service.

But those names may not be heard at future 9/11 memorials.

The city and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum board of directors — of which Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the chair — said they will begin surveying family members to see if they want the names of those killed read in future years.

“A decision has not been made and family members will be consulted before one is,” said mayoral spokesman Andrew Brent yesterday.

One proposed idea is that there will still be a ceremony in years to come, just one without the hours of name-reading.

The family members who lost loved ones were mixed on the idea of nixing the names.

“I think it’s important to this family [to read the names],” said Sandy Williams who lost her nephew, Brian Patrick Williams, on 9/11. “I think the name is important because it’s recognizing what they went through.”

But other family members said they wouldn’t mind if the names weren’t read again in future ceremonies.

“I think I’d be okay with it,” said Kelly Mladenik, the daughter of American Airlines Flight 11 passenger Jeffrey Mladenik. “Life goes on, as awful as it is and the cards that are dealt … life goes on.”

We asked:?How do you feel about a discontinuation of the 9/11 name-reading ceremony?

Morell Cole, a Brooklyn resident, lost her uncle in the attacks.
“They’ve said the names for 10 years. I appreciate it and it’s been done, but I think we can move on to different types of ceremonies.”

Kelly Mladenik lost her father on board American Airlines Flight 11.
“Life goes on, as awful as it is and the cards that are dealt … life goes on. We learned to cope and live our lives, the way he’d want us to.”

Andrea Villa lost her sister-in-law, Sharon
“Even though it’s a long time that it takes, we still have a special feeling when we hear her name. One of my children would like to do that — read her name — now that she’s old enough to do it.”

Alonzo Davis lost his brother, Clinton Davis, a Port Authority police officer, in the attacks.
“It’s getting tiring. This will be my last event, the 10th year, because it’s too much, really … drama for the whole family.”