Long Island residents gather at Point Lookout for memorial for victims of September 11 attacks
HEMPSTEAD, Nassau County (WABC) -- Long Island residents gathered at Point Lookout on Wednesday morning for a solemn service commemorating September 11.
Nearly a quarter of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks lived on Long Island.
The skies were crystal clear over Point Lookout. The same as they were 23 years ago.
This annual beachfront event pays tribute to the men and women lost as a result of the 9/11 terror attacks, as well as recognizes the police officers, firefighters, first responders and volunteer heroes who saved countless lives on that day and in the days following.
"This is my dad. William Steckman. He was on the 104th floor the North Tower.," said Donna Steckman, a Massapequa resident.
He was an engineer for NBC.
"We used to come to this beach every year with him growing up, the ceremony means more to us," she said.
The annual ceremony continues to draw hundreds of people.
"It's 23 years, I'm glad to see that people are still here remembering," said Jim Higgins, a Rockville Centre resident. "I think it's something that people here will never forget. A lot of places in the country don't remember like this because they weren't there to experience it. Coming to the beach is a great place, this is one of the places I went to."
September 11, 2001, still claims victims, even today with people dying of 9-11 related illnesses.
There is a 30-foot steel beam from the Twin Towers along with a memorial wall to offer a constant place of solace for those still grieving.
"Our wall of remembrance started with about 2,500 names, this year we're going to be over 4,000," said Don Clavin, Supervisor, Town of Hempstead. "Those are the legacy of the lives we continue to lose every single year in the town."
The crowd heard from Dawn Kirchner whose husband Ronnie, a father of two, died two years ago from dementia and lung ailments.
Ronnie was with the FDNY and spent half a year on the pile.
"I cannot fathom the pain of losing a loved one in an instant, no insight, no preparation, no good bye, Luke, Ava and I lost Ronnie ever so slowly day, by day, month to month year to year," Dawn Kirchner said.
What unifies them and everyone affected by September 11 is something the terror of that day can never and will never destroy, love.
RELATED | 'Eyewitness to 9/11: Behind the Lens' reveals untold stories, rare video of America's darkest day
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