Nassau County Does Great Job Honoring Veterans and 9/11 Victims

I had the joy - and more importantly, the honor - of visiting Veterans Memorial Plaza over the July 4 Holiday Weekend.  And as the daughter of a Vietnam vet and granddaughter of a WWII vet, it was both touching and sentimental for me.

The Memorial is a tribute to Nassau County’s heroes of past wars. The area set aside in the park includes a Wall of Honor, prisoner of War-Missing in Action and Korean War monuments, memorials of World War II, Medals of Honor and Purple Heart recipients, Gold Star parents of deceased veterans, doctors and nurses who served in war, and a dedication to military K-9s.

Veterans Tower honors Nassau County veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korean and Vietnam Wars. The avenue of flags represents active veteran organizations in Nassau County, and thousands of names of those who have served - active or retired, living or deceased - appear on the Walls of Honor.

The memorial also features tributes to parents and other survivors of murdered victims, missing children, those battling breast cancer and victims of drunk driving crashes.

In addition to the Veterans Memorial, you will find the September 11 Memorial, which officially opened to the public in 2007.  Two 30-foot, semi-transparent, stainless-steel towers, created to resemble those of the World Trade Center, stand in the midst of a fountain alongside the lake in park. On the lawn are two pieces of steel several feet long from the trade center wreckage surrounded by a garden of colorful flowers. On a long stone wall are the names of the 344 Nassau County residents who died September 11, 2001.

Nearby, a plaque honoring those who were killed in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania begins Our Story and says that the events that transpired that day ultimately changed the lives of all Americans.

So, if you're looking for a heart-warming, interesting and even educational exhibit close to home, I highly recommend the Veterans and September 11 memorials. There is no charge to view the memorials and they can be viewed during normal park hours (dawn until dark). They are best accessed through parking field 6 of Eisenhower Park.