Last Friday night at least 1,000 and perhaps more, residents flocked to the New Hyde Park Village Memorial Park to honor the victims and workers that have been involved since Sept. 11 with the World Trade Center terrorist attack rescue and cleanup operation.

The village, under the direction of Mayor Daniel Petruccio and with the help of former village trustee Florence Lisanti and trustee Donald Barbieri planned the event on short notice and it was very beautiful and very moving.

The members of the New Hyde Park Village Department of Public Works erected a stage and a backdrop draped with four huge American flags illuminated with spot lights and the effect was hauntingly beautiful.

All the people assembled in a very orderly fashion around the stage with many of the children perched on blankets directly in front of the stage and someone quietly passed among them handing out candles.

The dignitaries including: North Hempstead Town Councilmen James O'Connor, Angelo Ferrara; Nassau County Legislator Richard Nicolello; New Hyde Park Village Trustee Lawrence Montreuil; Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro; Trustee Richard Coppola; and New York State Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell sat on the stage with the clergy. The clergy members included from Notre Dame Msgr. John Martin; Reverend Victor Rapp of the Trinity Lutheran Church and Pastor Gary Scott of the Baptist Church of New Hyde Park and they all added their voices. The message for the most part was of shock and a firm resolve not to allow such a cowardly act to destroy the spirit and the heart of this great country.

After a piece by the Tara Pipe & Drum Corps and the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Petruccio thanked everyone for coming and said, "We can find comfort in the fact that so many of our leaders are working in a unified manner and are committed to restoring a sense of security because more than anything I want to be able to tell my children that everything will be all right."

Mayor Petruccio then invited New Hyde Park resident Ernie Gentile, who is a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department, to speak and he said, "We are proud to be New Yorkers and Amercians." He continued, "Brother and sister firefighters don't want applause but just a plain "thank you" is enough."

Next up to the mike was Roger Sakowich, a New York City firefighter with Engine No. 6, which is located right around the corner from the World Trade Center. He said he has been working almost non-stop since the terrorist action and they were all in the building when the plane struck. He was able to get out but many did not including a lieutenant and three firefighters from Company No. 6. He said that he was heading right back into "ground zero" which is the term given to the base of the towers and the center of the cleanup and recovery project, but that his captain thought the New Hyde Park vigil was so important, he found someone to replace him for a few hours so that he could attend the ceremonies.

Sakowich went on to describe what it was like in the first few moments after the first plane slammed into the first tower. First they all donned rescue gear, which is very heavy and they started to make the long climb up the stairs in an effort to contain the blazing inferno caused by the massive amount of airplane fuel. Most got as far as the 44th floor and they had to turn back because in the meantime they heard that the Pentagon had been hit and the other tower as well. Going back down they helped people try to wend their way down in the dark and when they finally reached the ground floor they had to lead them through broken windows and through stairwells before the tower collapsed.

Mayor Petruccio thanked Sakowich for coming and said, "We will remember you and your entire company in our prayers."

Next on the program was a song by the multi-talented Theresa McClean who has a lovely voice and she sang a beautiful and inspiring song entitled, "We Are Strong" written by her brother Peter McClean. Their mom is Marilyn McLean who has been the director/producer of the New Hyde Park Players for many years. Some of the NHP Players along with McClean and the New Hyde Park Memorial High School Choir joined together and sang various patriotic songs accompanied on the keyboard by Patrick Farrell.

The program closed with Farrell singing Lee Greenwood's classic, God Bless the USA.