When the bagpipes began playing at the Town of Hempstead's September 11th memorial ceremony at Town Park at Point Lookout, it was hard to find a dry eye. On a clear, sunny and peaceful September morning, on the fifth anniversary of the nation's darkest day, the pain of 9/11 and the hurt for many who lost loved ones remains.

"Today we seek to remember our fallen brothers and sisters who were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, celebrate their lives, reflect upon their influence on us and honor their memory," said Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray.

Each year, the Town of Hempstead honors the heroes of September 11th with a ceremony on the beach at Point Lookout. Many who have family members or friends who perished attend since the beach is a place where they can find peace and comfort. But, for many, there is still no comfort, as there remain constant reminders that their loved ones will never return home.

"I think our entire generation will continue to struggle with the healing process for the rest of our lives. After all, can the healing ever be complete when our loved ones have been so savagely taken from us without any warning? At the same time, my faith in the people of this nation and the pride I feel have been buoyed by the unity and strength that we have demonstrated in the wake of the terrorist attacks," said Supervisor Murray.

Each year, the town has a guest speaker for its September 11th ceremony and this year, the speaker was Gloria Moran of Levittown, who lost her younger brother Nicholas Massa, who worked for Aon, in the south tower of the World Trade Center.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Moran had just put her granddaughter on the school bus and returned home to watch the news. After the first plane hit tower one, she thought it was an accident until tower two was hit. She realized that tower two was where her brother worked. After agonizing over whether her brother was all right, she screamed, "Where is my brother?"

In the days following, with her brother missing, Moran walked around in denial. "We had no body. We had nothing to remind us he lived here," she said.

It was confirmed that Massa was among those that perished and Moran finally has closure. Now, on the fifth anniversary of the attacks, she has a message for those who have been hurting since then. Moran has been picking up the pieces and going on. "I am not afraid. I am starting to live again. I laugh now and I cry when I have to," she said. "I have started to live again, but the pain is still there."

For those who lost loved ones, the pain will always be there. Former West Hempstead resident Susan Carroll, now a resident of Baldwin Harbor, will always have a piece of her missing since her son, Kevin Colbert, who worked in tower two for the brokerage firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, perished on September 11th. Carroll describes her son has an "incredible kid" who helped her raise her three other children.

"The hurt never goes away. I live with it everyday," she said.

Colbert, who was 25 when he was killed, would have turned 30 this past August 26. To honor his birthday, Carroll released 30 balloons into the air. In the past, she has attended ceremonies at Ground Zero, but this year, she felt the beach was more appropriate since her son loved beach volleyball.

It has been five years but the pain is still there for Carroll. There are constant reminders of her son such as a song on the radio or the empty chair at the dinner table. When her nephew got married, Colbert would have been in the bridal party. Instead there was that empty space just as there is an empty space in her heart. "There aren't any words [for comfort]. There isn't any place. There will never by any comfort. He was murdered by terrorists," she said.

Carroll knows though that her son is still with her. She said he used to always critique her driving, but now she won't do certain things on the road anymore because, she said, "I can feel my son with me."

Instead of attending the Ground Zero ceremony as in previous years, Pat and John Nitti chose to go to Point Lookout to honor Pat's brother Brian G. McAleese, a resident of Baldwin and city firefighter in Engine Company #226. Pat Nitti found the ceremony at Point Lookout beach to be a fitting tribute to her brother since he loved the beach. In fact, the last time she saw her brother was at the beach, at Robert Moses, Field #5 on September 9, 2001.

"He was fun, always laughing," said Pat Nitti of her brother who lived by the motto, "Life is good and we deserve it."

Pat is also reminded by her 11-year-old son that the last time she saw him, he said goodbye and told her he loved her since, with two brothers being city firefighters and another brother being a city police officer, that had become a tradition in her family.

The town's September 11th ceremony gave those who attended an opportunity to honor their loved ones and grieve. At the center of the ceremony, was a crystalline sculpture of the towers with a fountain cascading down to a pool at its base, where carnations were placed in the pool and messages were written and placed with American flags in the sand.

Five years removed from the September 11th terrorist attacks, there still is little understanding of why they had to happen. But, the one constant is that the memories of those who lost their lives and the heroics of many that day will never fade. Said Murray, "We have been united as a nation as we have never been before. We have found solace in each other and, while our hearts have been irreparably broken, our resolve remains strong and unwavering."