By Mark Lussier
On the morning of Sept. 11, a memorial service began on the same sands where many Long Islanders stood to watch as smoke poured across New York City during the attacks.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Point Lookout Beach, the ceremony attracted hundreds of residents who had come to pay respects to those who lost lives in the terrorist attack 25 years ago.
The event was marked by deep reflection. Town of Hempstead officials from both political parties and religious leaders representing various faiths emphasized remembrance and unity.
Dorine Hetzel-Dand, the ceremony’s keynote speaker, lost her brother on Sept. 11, 2001 and her husband in 2024 to illnesses related to the attacks. Her remarks focused on the pain of that day and how it still affects people today.
As Hetzel-Dand concluded her speech, Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti joined her in placing a wreath wrapped in red, white and blue in remembrance.
The ceremony featured music from the Nassau County Firefighters Pipes and Drums as the American flag was raised during the presentation of colors.
Levittown Fire Capt. Fred McFarland performed“God Bless the USA.” As he sang, many attendees rose from their seats and raised their American flags high to show solidarity.
After closing remarks, hundreds of Long Islanders walked across the beach with white carnations in hand and tossed them into the Atlantic Ocean.
The annual event has been hosted by the Town of Hempstead and is the largest 9/11 memorial ceremony on Long Island.
Point Lookout features a permanent structure and park that displays the names of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and in the years that followed from 9/11-related illnesses.
According to Newsday, 200 lives from Hempstead were lost, the highest number compared to neighboring towns. The other communities that followed were the villages of Garden City and Rockville Centre.
Currently there is a local Eagle Scout project focused on digitizing all names featured on the National Sept.11 Memorial. This would provide a database for friends, colleagues and loved ones to easily find the names of those they knew.
Slips of paper were distributed to those who wanted to stencil the names of victims. One of those individuals was Levittown resident Mary Messina. She wrote the name of Ronald Dorseeni, a first responder with whom she grew up.
Messina spoke about the bravery displayed by the first responders lost that day. “They’re willing to put their life on the line,” Messina said. “Their only goal was to try to help those who needed help and get them out safely.”
Messina said the wounds of Sept. 11 still linger, and she hopes that memorials help all Americans to remember what they should be grateful for. She also praised the extraordinary response in the aftermath of the attacks.
“If you learn to grow from a bad experience, how can we make good in the days that follow?” Messina said. “The patriotism was surreal. Everybody had their flags out and neighbors helped each other. It’s very close to home and we shouldn’t forget that.”
First responder families were well represented at the memorial service. Eileen Barry-Peppy, a former sergeant in the New York City Police Department and East Meadow resident, brought her daughter, Shannon.
Both Barry-Peppy and her husband went into the city on the day of the attacks. Similar to Hetzel-Dand, Barry-Peppy has suffered additional losses in the years since.
“Not only did we lose people on that day, over the years more and more of our friends have perished or are suffering from the Sept.11-related cancers,” Barry-Peppy said.
Barry-Peppy highlighted the importance of bringing her family to the memorials and commemorations. “We bring them here and we want them to know all the sacrifices that were made for their freedom,” Barry-Peppy said.
Although Barry-Peppy’s daughter was not born at the time of the attacks, Shannon reflected on the moving moments from the tribute.
“It’s not nice to see, but it’s good to see the people who have lost someone,” she said. “They help show how horrible that day was and will always be.”
For those who ran towards the flames, a ceremony on the sands of Point Lookout carries a deeper meaning. It means something different for Wantagh native Bill Marchese, who was a police officer in the 10th precinct during the Sept.11 attacks.
He described his experience at ground zero as “mayhem,” with “people covered in dust.” Marchese worked in a temporary morgue put together with tractor-trailers and vouchered property, including ID cards to return to family members or help identify victims.
“I was down there for a long time … The odor was terrible, it was terrible,” he said.
Memorials such as this one allows for Marchese and others to remember and reflect. “This is what brings people together,” Marchese said. “It’s sad to remember but it’s good to remember because maybe it’ll never happen again.”
The memorial at Point Lookout echoed one message: “Never forget.” As the decades pass, the memories of those standing on the beach in 2001 resonate with those in 2026 and generations to come.
