Wantagh community members spanning multiple generations were united in remembrance as the new monument honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was dedicated at Wantagh High School.

The ceremony took place on the 25th anniversary of the attacks and featured Board of Education trustees, district and school administrators, teachers, students, community members, veterans, first responders and elected officials from the town, county, state and federal government. The creation of the monument was several years in the making and features a 1:170 scale replica of the Twin Towers on a Pentagon base. It contains the names of 12 people from Wantagh who died in the attacks. 

A 9/11 committee that formed in 2024, led by Assistant Principal Dr. Christopher Widmann, spearheaded the project. Money was raised from the annual Wantagh Warrior 9/11 Memorial 5K Run and from donations or grants from the Gary Sinise Foundation, Wantagh 6-12 Association, Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group and Nassau County Legislator Michael Giangregorio’s office. Four benches around the memorial acknowledge the donors.

Following a helicopter flyover from the Nassau County Police Department, Principal Dr. Paul Guzzone opened the ceremony by welcoming guests, acknowledging families in attendance and sharing how the memorial came to fruition in time for the 25th anniversary. 

“Today is a solemn and deeply meaningful day for our community,” Dr. Guzzone said. “We come together to remember, to honor and to show that the lives and legacies of those we lost will continue to live on for generations to come.”

Danielle Fehling-Wasnieski, whose husband Lee H. Fehling died on Sept. 11, led the Pledge of Allegiance and sophomore Emily McHale sang the national anthem. Superintendent John McNamara and Board of Education President Jennifer Perfetti gave their reflections on Sept. 11 and expressed their gratitude for the hard work and effort that led to the creation of Wantagh’s monument. 

“Looking at this beautiful monument, I am overwhelmed with immense pride,” Mr. McNamara said. “To be a part of the Wantagh community is to know a rare brand of solidarity. The creation of this memorial was no small feat. It took vision, tireless dedication, hours of hard work and collective effort from community members, students, faculty and leaders alike who refused to let the magnitude of this day fade.”

Ms. Perfetti noted that the creation of the monument is not just a tribute to those who died, but also to the brave first responders who ran toward danger without hesitation. 

“We honor those who gave their lives during the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, as well as the many heroes and survivors who continue to face painful, ongoing struggles with 9/11-related health conditions today,” she said. “These individual are not distant figures in a history textbook. They are out neighbors, our family members and our friends. Right here in Wantagh, so many of our residents carry the living history and personal weight of that day.”

Together, Mr. McNamara and Ms. Perfetti unveiled a plaque to officially dedicate the monument. Dr. Widmann read the names of the 12 Wantagh residents – grouped on the memorial with purpose by NYPD, FDNY, community members and Wantagh High School graduates – and shared a little about each person. Family members were invited to come up and place a flower in their honor. Dr. Guzzone presented a wooden carving of an American flag to Thomas Gibbs, director of education for the Gary Sinise Foundation, in recognition of their efforts to fund educational efforts on 9/11 for Wantagh students. Dozens of students sat behind the monument as the ceremony took place to experience the magnitude of the day to the generation before them. There was also a playing of taps from a bagpiper and drummer.

Dr. Widmann, who was a social studies teacher in Uniondale in 2001, shared his story along with the fear and uncertainty that followed. He noted some of the details of the monument, like how the two towers are oriented geographically the same as two that stood in Manhattan, and how the names of the 12 Wantagh residents and alumni were etched in the same font as New York City’s 9/11 memorial. The two towers also illuminate at night. 

“That detail may be one of the most meaningful of all,” Dr. Widmann said. “Because Sept. 11 was a day filled with darkness. But darkness does not have to be the end of the story.”