911 flag honors victims of attack

Special Tribute

OCM BOCES is honored to fly a very special flag today (Tuesday, Sept. 11) to honor the 2,753 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. The flag was donated by Mary Ellen Michalenko, our highly regarded OCM BOCES hospital school teacher at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Mary Ellen’s brother, Michael H. Seaman, died in the attack on the World Trade Center. He was working as vice president and partner of Cantor Fitzgerald in One World Trade Center on the 101st floor when the planes hit. The company had the greatest loss of life of any company. Mary Ellen continues to mourn for her brother with her family, including her 92-year-old mother. She was actually working with a student at Upstate when the attacked occurred. She travels to New York City every year in memory of her brother.

“After all these years, we still have tears,” she wrote in a recent letter to OCM BOCES District Superintendent Jody Manning, “but laughter and wonderful memories are the mainstays. I have always wanted to donate a flag in Michael’s name to OCM BOCES.”