Each year, citizens young and old gather at Patriot Day ceremonies either to honor the loss of a loved one during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, or to pay their respects for the 2,977 victims who lost their lives that day. There’s another group of individuals, however, who don’t seem to get the same recognition, and these people are still dying 23 years later.

The Center for Disease Control estimates 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants on that day and the days, weeks, and months following the attacks as a result of the search and rescue efforts, or just being in the general area of ground zero as plumes of smoke, dust, and debris filled the air.

Among those individuals was long-time Cornwall resident Robert Galvin, who lost his life on Oct. 23, 2022, after dealing with chronic breathing issues for over 20 years.

Galvin’s widow, Roxanne, was present at the annual ceremony at Chadeayne Circle. She laid a wreath in honor of her husband, as well as others who have succumbed to similar illnesses. She also wanted to make people aware there are others who have suffered since that day and continue to struggle with their health.

A year after graduating high school, Galvin joined the Army. Despite the draft being in effect, he opted not to wait for his number to come up and proceeded to complete three tours in Vietnam.

“He wanted to serve his country,” Roxanne said. “His father was a WWII veteran. He was always about service.”

After coming home, Galvin married Roxanne in 1979, and they moved to Cornwall where they raised two daughters. He got a job as a welder at West Point and continued to serve in the Army until 1988. Seeking better opportunities and a chance for promotion, Galvin decided to join the Air National Guard and was stationed at the 105th Air National Guard out of Stewart.

Galvin didn’t really talk about his experiences in Vietnam having suffered with PTSD and back problems because of reconnaissance missions which entailed jumping out of helicopters in advance of land troops. He did find the Air Force more to his liking and served out the remainder of his 39-year military career, retiring in March 2006 as a well-decorated technical sergeant. His medals are on display in a shadow box in Roxanne’s living room.

Continuing his service to the community, Galvin joined the Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps in 1980 as a driver. He responded to calls in floods, hurricanes, blizzards, and on holidays. In 2015, he was recognized as responder of the year after logging 2,844 volunteer hours. He received the award multiple times throughout his career. In 2019, COVAC created a new award and named it after the first recipient, the Robert Galvin Lifetime Achievement Award.

Galvin retired from COVAC in 2022 where he served on the Board of Directors for many years and was seen as a father figure for many of the younger members.

In 2001, within an hour of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Galvin was activated as a member of the Air National Guard. He assisted in gathering food supplies which were then shuttled down to Governor’s Island for the military personnel stationed there. He was deployed a week later to Battery Park. While there, he transported people to ground zero and assisted in the search and recovery efforts. Galvin remained on active duty for eight months, and when he returned home he continued to help prepare food to be sent to Governor’s Island.

Roxanne said he didn’t talk much about what his responsibilities were but described the scene as another Vietnam - a war zone.

That November, prior to leaving for Texas for two weeks, Galvin started feeling ill and was having trouble breathing. In January, he had an emergency appendectomy, and the breathing issues continued. The nurses at the time chalked it up to the after-effects of the anesthesia, despite the breathing problems being noted in his medical chart.

Within a couple of months, he went to see a pulmonologist. At the time, the military was just starting to realize a lot of people were experiencing the same issues, but Galvin’s doctor didn’t believe it was related to working at Ground Zero. Galvin sought a second opinion, and the pulmonologist diagnosed him with something related to COPD. Medication kept his breathing under control until a few years before he passed.

Galvin ended up with prostate cancer, but in the end, it was the breathing issues which took his life.

Despite having difficulty catching his breath and getting colds and a cough more easily, Galvin faced no limitations in his daily life. He helped raise three grandsons, enjoyed collecting coins, and loved to read. He and his wife had season tickets to see shows at West Point’s Eisenhower Hall. He even served as a guardian on two Hudson Valley Honor Flights to Washington, D.C.

Roxanne said it’s important to remember those who paid the ultimate price on 9/11, but there needs to be more attention to those who have died since then as well.