WTC Memorial in Subway

By PETE DONOHUE
Daily News Staff Writer

Someone gave Kevin Crotty two kisses. Relatives wished Craig Staub a happy Passover. And a friend of Joyce Ann Carpeneto told her she remains "a bright star."

Passerby adds message next to name of World Trade Center victim's name on wall in Union Square subway station.

The three are among the more than 2,800 killed in the World Trade Center attacks listed on a Vietnam Memorial-like tribute in the Union Square subway station.

Beyond memorializing the missing, the tribute invites relatives and friends of the victims to sign their names and leave personal messages.

Stretching 30 feet on three walls in a long passageway at the bustling station, the memorial is a sobering roster adorned with gray images of the towers, the Statue of Liberty and angels.

'Great Tribute'

"It really conveys the enormity of what happened and is a great tribute," said Tom Meehan, 57, of Carteret, N.J., whose 26-year-old daughter, Colleen Ann Barkow, was killed.

"It's difficult to convey the sense of loss, anguish and unending tears. The banner is a place to go, see her name and leave some words for her."

This week, he and his wife, JoAnn, 57, placed a photograph of their daughter, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, on the wall.

They wrote: "We miss you dearly and our hearts are still broken. God bless you and I hope you are happy where you are now, free of pain. Love Always, Mom and Dad."

Erected this month by the Manhattan-based nonprofit group ArtAID, the memorial's missives grow daily.

The messages of love and loss are written in a variety of languages — English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi — reflecting the global nature of the human devastation.

Patrick Brown, FDNY Captain, was known and loved by many, and had the "smile of an angel", wrote one visitor to the Memorial.

Message From Sis

Efia Crandon was hustling to catch a train this week when the memorial caught her eye. She searched until she found the name of her brother, Port Authority Police Officer Uhuru Houston, who was 44 years old.

Crandon plunked down her bags, searched for a pen and wrote: "I will always love you and I miss you very much. From your sister, Efia."

"I was just thinking about him," she said, shaking her head slightly in amazement before continuing on her way.

The memorial is the work of an artist who wished to remain anonymous, and is the founder of ArtAID.

They hope this tribute could be recreated in stone or bronze as the memorial at Ground Zero or made permanent at the Union Square station. The Transit Authority has no plans to take it down, a spokesman said.

"It's a touchstone for people to express their emotions and communicate with their loved ones," stated one volunteer.

Original Publication Date: 3/30/02