WEST POINT – A steel beam recovered from the ashes of the World Trade Center attacks 25 years ago arrived ceremoniously at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday.
Hundreds of first responders, veterans and family members gathered in the pouring rain to see the dramatic unveiling of the 21-foot-long steel beam of the South Tower.
West Point is the last leg of a nationwide “Steel Across America” Tour in honor the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Frank Siller is the chairman and CEO of the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which organized the tour and dedicates itself to its mission of reminding people of the sacrifices of that day. Siller’s brother, 34-year-old Stephen Siller, was an FDNY firefighter who ran through the, then, Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to Manhattan with fire gear on his back.
Siller was overcome with emotion when the beam was unveiled.
“Twenty-five years ago, my brother gave his life, and his body was never recovered. There’s a piece of him in that steel, a piece of over 1,100 men and women who were not recovered at Ground Zero. Their souls are in that steel,” said Siller. “With this foundation, we promised to honor the sacrifice but to never forget, and this is the way you never forget– by bringing this around the country.”
The “Steel Across America” tour began at the original World Trade Center site on May 2. Since then, the mobile exhibit has traveled by truck to more than 30 cities in 21 states, with stops that have included Mount Rushmore and the White House.
Steve DeVita is a retired NYPD sergeant from the 102nd precinct, who on September 11, was in charge of a unit of highly trained operatives, tasked with securing the area to prevent further attacks on New York City.
“Unfortunately, I’m now suffering from two health issues as a result,” said DeVita. “I’m lucky to be here, but it was totally unexpected that I would become a recipient of some of these health problems. I can tell you that it is definitely real.”
Donna Donato drove from Pike County, Pennsylvania to West Point to see the steel exhibit. Her cousin, Port Authority Police Officer Christopher Amoroso, perished that day.
“He went into the south tower, pulled two people out and then went back in and never came out,” said Donato. “I feel for all the families, and that’s why we have to keep this alive. People need to know what happened and need to learn how to be more tolerant and kinder toward each other.”
Attendees were able to climb a set of portable stairs to see and touch the 17,000-pound, steel beam up close.
“One of the most beautiful things about this tour is that so many families have come out to pay homage to this piece of steel, and they’re talking to their kids about what happened on September 11,” said Siller. “West Point is the perfect place to do this. It’s where so many American heroes have been made.”
Siller says the Tunnel to Towers Foundation works to provide mortgage free homes and scholarships to first responder families. It is also committed to providing housing for homeless veterans.
The exhibit’s next stop is Boston before it heads to Washington D.C., with its final stop at Ground Zero on September 11.
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