Sept. 11, 2001, is more than a dark moment in history; it is a day that has forever marked New Yorkers and the nation, especially for the families and first responders who lost loved ones and those who are still impacted to this day.

A total of 2,977 innocent lives were brutally taken at the World Trade Center, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon that Tuesday morning. First responders rushed into action, many knowing they would not return home.

In the days, weeks, and years that followed, survivors faced debilitating health impacts caused by the toxic ash that filled the Manhattan air. Illnesses caused by these toxins have killed more first responders in the years since the attacks than on that fateful day. Today, more than 83,000 Americans across the country are facing ongoing battles with 9/11-related cancers and other serious health conditions.

Every one of these losses is a direct casualty of a foreign terrorist attack on this nation.

"Never Forget" is more than a phrase of remembrance. It is a call to action that continues to guide my career in public service, and it must guide our nation as we work to prevent another 9/11 from ever happening again.

Like so many others, I remember where I was when our nation came under........

© Newsweek