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United 93 hero Jeremy Glick memorialized

By Jim Planck

GLOVERSVILLE — Sept. 11, 2001 was a day of heroes, as emergency rescue personnel, firemen, police, co-workers, strangers and even victims sought to help those endangered by the tragedies of that day.

One such man was 31-year old Jeremy Glick, of West Milford, N.J., who with his wife Lyz, had grandparents and a second-home on the Mountaintop, in the Town of Jewett.

It was, in fact, to that location that Jeremy spoke to Lyz when he called on his cell phone from in the air above Pennsylvania that morning, to tell her that he and several of the others were preparing to try to take back their plane, United Flight 93.

Expressing his love for both his wife and his infant daughter, Jeremy signed off and passed on into history as the plane shortly after crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pa., thereby saving untold lives in Washington, D.C., in sacrifice of their own.

In recognition of Glick’s sacrifice, the United States Judo Association, of which Jeremy was a member, has had a memorial monument created which will be installed at an 11 a.m. ceremony near Shanksville on Saturday morning, Sept. 13.

The stone was made here in the Capital District by Cherry Valley Memorials, and saw design by CVM’s Mary “Kitty” Riznyk, general manager of the company’s Gloversville branch.

“I’m deeply honored,” Riznyk said. “There’s no way to describe it, the honor, and what he did for us.”

“I’ve told people, put your hand on the stone,” said Riznyk, “and you’ll feel the warmth and compassion that we put into it, and that he put into it with his sacrifice, and his wife’s.”

“For a little person in Gloversville, N.Y.,” she said, “it’s quite an honor. It just brings tears to my eyes when I think about it.”

Riznyk said the 300-pound stone is gray granite, 28 inches by 16 inches, and 10 inches tall at its highest point.

The inscription reads, “The United States Judo Association promoted Jeremy Glick to the highest rank of black belt for living the principle of judo mutual welfare and benefit sacrificing his life for our country September 11, 2001.”

It features a United States Judo Association logo, a Star of David, and a black belt, and will be installed near Stoystown, Pa., at a memorial site.

Riznyk said that Cherry Valley Memorial’s involvement in the project began after she assisted USJA chief operating officer Gary Goltz in locating a gravesite in Fern Dale Cemetery, between Gloversville and Johnstown.

Goltz was trying to find the gravesite of actor Broderick Crawford, who is buried there, and Riznyk is a volunteer assisting people at the cemetery, and located it for him.

Goltz later contacted her about Cherry Valley Memorials fabricating the monument for Glick, which then came to fruition.

Riznyk and her husband left Thursday afternoon to deliver the monument to Pennsylvania where, she said, they will have dinner on Friday with Glick’s widow, Lyzbeth Glick Best, now remarried, her new husband, and meet daughter Emerson, now 7 years old.

“Your Father’s Voice: Letters for Emmy About Life with Jeremy — and Without Him After 9/11” is a book Best wrote to later be able to tell her then three-month old daughter about those days.

It is an extremely moving and emotional read, and is available from Amazon.com as well as many book stores.

Goltz was unavailable for comment at press time, but Riznyk indicated he was deeply appreciative of CVM’s effort in designing a monument to contain the content necessary for honoring Glick.

As are all who will view it — and all who remember the phrase, “Let’s roll.”

To reach reporter Jim Planck, call 518-943-2100, ext. 3324, or e-mail jplanck@thedailymail.net.

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