The Tunnel to Towers Foundation marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by touring a steel beam from the World Trade Center’s South Tower across America. This initiative aims to educate younger generations and honor those who served. Tunnel to Towers founder and CEO Frank Siller discussed with Jon Scott how this beam, weighing 17,000 pounds, elicits emotional responses from citizens during the memorial tour.
A 21-foot steel beam, salvaged from the South Tower, is making its journey up the East Coast as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Steel Across America tour. The tour began earlier this year to commemorate the anniversary and recognize American service members and first responders. It will make stops in several cities, including Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and New York City, leading up to September 11.
On Wednesday, the beam will be showcased at the Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners game at Fenway Park in Boston, and visit the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial the following day. By Friday, it will be featured at a private event in Washington, D.C., and then head to New York City for another private event in Brooklyn on September 11. Its final appearance will be at the New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys game at MetLife Stadium on September 13.
Earlier this week, the beam visited the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Superintendent Lt. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III emphasized how the steel represents the bravery of first responders and the commitment of Americans who served afterward. He stated, “As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, this piece of steel reminds us of the courage of first responders like Stephen Siller and the countless Americans who answered the call in the years that followed, including generations of West Point graduates.”
The ceremony at West Point included cadets, faculty, staff, and guests with an opening color guard, and a pipe and drum procession featuring members of the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority Police Department. The event also included the national anthem, an invocation, a blessing of the steel, and a moment of reflection accompanied by “Amazing Grace.”
Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers and brother of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, recounted his brother’s heroic actions on September 11. He shared, “Twenty-five years ago, my brother Stephen strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel toward danger, duty, and the people who needed him inside those towers.”
Siller further expressed his gratitude to West Point for hosting the ceremony, saying, “Duty, honor, country: Those values connect West Point cadets, Stephen, and first responders all across this country. We are grateful to West Point for welcoming us, and we leave more committed than ever to making sure the sacrifice of Sept. 11 is never forgotten.”