More than 1,000 residents of Levittown and visiting communities stood shoulder to shoulder on Wednesday night, September 11, 2002, during the Candlelight Community Commemoration in remembrance of September 11, 2001.

This remembrance service took place on the south side of the flagpoles of the Veterans Memorial in front of the Levittown Library. This service took place so that all the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77 and United Airlines Flight 93 will never be forgotten. Remembered also were the men and women in our military who are fighting this war on terrorism.

During the night of September 11, 2002 it was very windy. Yet - that night the windy skies could not put out the flame that burned within the hearts of families who lost loved ones on 9-11, like the McKeon family from Virginia Beach, VA, whose son, Barry Joseph McKeon, died in the Twin Towers during the attack on our country. Our Levittown firefighters who stood with pride as they remembered their own fallen comrade taken from us within the towers. The 30 families from Levittown who lost loved ones and who asked that names not be mentioned because of the hurt that is still being felt. All who were lost will never be forgotten.

The remembrance service was initiated by the Levittown American Legion Post 1711 and involved all of the Levittown community. The guest speakers were Hempstead Supervisor Rich Guardino and County Executive Thomas Suozzi. Religious speakers for the event were Rabbi Stanley Dreifuss from the Israel Community Center; Fr. Jerry Ringenback, pastor at St. Bernard's and Pastor Paul Furniss of the Levittown First Presbyterian Church.

The American Legion Post 1711 wants to thank all who helped in this first remembrance service: Al Whitlock and the New York/New Jersey Port Authority who supplied a large stainless steel image of the Twin Towers; The Levittown Fire Department; Beth Dalton, who supplied candles for the ceremony; Commander Henry To, who spoke for the members of American Legion Post 1711; Legislator Dennis Dunne, who said the Pledge of Allegiance; Thomas DiIorio, commander, 2nd Division American Legion who acted as MC; Vice Commander Post 1711 Andy Booth, who rang the Four Fives - a 100-year-old fire department tradition telling of the death of fallen firefighters; Island Trees American Legion; commander John Lively who supplied bagpipers who played Amazing Grace; Councilman Gary Hudes who aided in supplying sound systems and stage; Town Clerk Kate Murray; Senator Kemp Hannon; the Hon. David McDonough; Commander Jack Stein and the Veterans of Foreign Wars who gave a color guard and supplied a rifle detail; Korean War Veterans; Masonic War Veterans, Nassau County Police Department's 8th Precinct; Levittown Youth Council; Levittown Historical Society; Ancient Order of Hiberians; St. Vincent de Paul Society; Levittown Chamber of Commerce; Levittown Community Council; Yours, Ours, Mine Community Center of Levittown; Holy Innocents Knights of Columbus; Levittown Lions; Levittown Tribune; Wantagh/Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps; The Island Trees School District; The Levittown School District; Marco Polo Italian Organization of Levittown; Nassau County Veterans Service Agency; Dalton's Funeral Homes, O'Shea's Funeral Homes; the Levittown Boy Scouts and Levittown Girl Scouts Troop 3278 who held the lighted candles during the memorial service; Island Trees Girl Scouts; representatives from the New York City Fire Department and New York City Police Department who were present; Levittown Baptist Church; Levittown Community Church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; First Presbyterian Church of Levittown and St. Bernard's Church.