A groundbreaking ceremony was held today at a Nassau memorial to honor local service members.

The memorial is a tribute to 7,000 service members who lost their lives during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The announcement comes on the 20th anniversary of troops being deployed to Afghanistan.

"When completed, this memorial will be the first on Long Island, and one of the first in the state, to honor the service men and women who served during the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq," says Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

The new monument will be located at the Veterans Memorial Park in Eisenhower Park.