Thirteen years ago many of our lives changed forever. Maybe some of you weren’t effected personally but thousands of New Yorkers were. Maybe you lost a loved one or a close friend.

When the Twin Towers were struck by the two planes, the world focused on these two buildings. No one could imagine that one of United States’ worse tragedies was about to unfold. No worker thought that it could possibly be his last day to put his lunch in the floor refrigerator, sit down at his desk and log in, or even fight with the boss over company plans. Some of us are old enough to remember; others are not. But everyone knows what happened because it was most horrific terrorist act on U.S. soil ever.

United States officials concluded that it was a terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda-trained terrorists hijacked four planes and crashed three of them into buildings. Two hit the World Trade Center towers and one hit the Pentagon. The fourth was believed to be destined for the White House but crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Firefighters, police officers, and strangers rushed into the burning buildings and risked their lives.

Most teens don’t realize how many Long Islanders’ lives were effected by this terrible, life changing event.

Here on Long Island, and especially Wantagh, we take this day very seriously. We honor the victims with a moment of silence before games. We seek to learn the accurate history of this day, and comfort those whose lives were impacted. Today the World Trade Center has The Freedom Tower and 9/11 Memorial which have the nearly 3,000 victims written in the marble surrounding the two waterfalls, which are the footprints of the towers. The family members of these lost loved ones could be remembered through not only by their minds but by others who visit this site each day. The new site is beautifully heartwarming and is filled with thousands of visitors each day.

9/11 is not just a significant day because many lost loved ones, but because it the day the world froze and America changed forever. The first responders and business workers who were lost in the Towers will never be forgotten.