On Friday, we will mark the eighth anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

In that time, our country has gone after terrorists and villains in nearly every corner of the world, looking to both avenge the cruelty of that day and bring to justice those who were responsible for the attacks.

Today, we see our presence in Iraq dwindling, as our mission to remove a vicious dictator in Saddam Hussein is over.

But the battle in Afghanistan still rages. After almost eight years, we have more troops involved in the battle there, both searching for those responsible and working to establish a strong democratic government.

We continue to pray for those killed in the 9-11 attacks and for their families still mourning. We also offer our condolences and prayers to those who have been killed in this war against terror and stand with their families in honoring their memories and their service.

As we prepare to mark this solemn day, we felt it was necessary to look at back at what we wrote about the event in our editorial. The following editorial appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001 edition of the Suffolk News-Herald:

“It’s one of those rare times in which we are not Republican or Democrats, or liberal or conservative, but Americans.

“We lose sight of that at times as we debate things like car taxes, private school vouchers and the sanctity of the Social Security trust fund – things that on Tuesday morning suddenly seemed frivolous.

“As the twin 110-story towers of the World Trade Center came crashing to the ground under the weight of an apparent terrorist attack, Americans everywhere stood in awe around TV sets in homes, offices and schools asking the question, “How could this have happened here?”

“Sept. 11, 2001, will surely go down in history as another date that will live in infamy, joining the ranks of Dec. 7, 1941 and Nov. 22, 1963. But just like the days following those tragic events, the days to come are likely to see America and Americans at their best, doing whatever is necessary to care for our wounded, console our bereaved and most importantly, protect our freedom.

“Rest assured that perpetrators of this wanton act of cruelty and cowardice will be exposed and swiftly and severely punished.

“While we may feel helpless, we’re not. There’s plenty we can do. Pray for those killed and injured and those risking their lives to find them. Pray for those who lead us. Pray for those who protect us. Give blood, money, whatever you have to help. It’s truly time to ask what you can do for your country.”