MGM Resorts veterans mark 9/11 25th anniversary with UNLV memorial donation, blood drive

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the connection between Southern Nevada and the lives lost in lower Manhattan remains strong at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The bond is etched into the property’s memorial plaques and preserved through a nearly 6,000-piece 9/11 collection housed at UNLV Special Collections, filled with mementos and tributes left by mourners outside the resort in the days and years following the tragedy.

Among those marking the anniversary at the resort Friday were Ground Zero first responders Luis and Cece Hermenegildo, who said the memories of that day still feel fresh.

“We were trying to be in New York for this, but we couldn’t make it,” they said. “So we’ve come out every year since we’ve been here.”

Luis recalled arriving at the scene in lower Manhattan the day after the attacks to find a smoldering landscape covered in debris.

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“The scene was chaotic, obviously. There was debris, and everything was all over the place. It was still smoldering the next day when I got there,” he said. “Definitely something you’ll never forget. The soot on the people. I would see people walking, and they were covered in soot and no shoes.”

Despite the devastation, both recalled the remarkable sense of community and support that emerged from the tragedy.

“At the time that it happened, the community actually came together,” Luis said. “And I’ve never felt appreciated as much as a police officer in New York City as during those times.”

“That day and the days after, everybody was just pulling together,” Cece added. “They were giving water. Everybody was helping everybody. So it was beautiful to see.”

While they noted that the passage of 25 years has caused some to move on from the memory of that day, their commitment to honoring the fallen remains unchanged.

“Times people have forgotten, unfortunately. We never forget,” they said. “We’re here to honor our fallen and our comrades and brothers and sisters over there.”

The couple said they hope to travel to New York next year to attend the anniversary in person.