A 21-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center recently arrived in Indianapolis. This visit is part of a national tour marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The ‘Steel Across America’ tour, organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, aims to honor those lost by returning the beam to Ground Zero.
The beam stopped at the Indiana War Memorial and Museum on August 19, the 31st location on its 10,500-mile journey through 21 states and Washington, D.C. This beam symbolizes the nearly 3,000 individuals who perished during the attacks, including civilians, firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and military personnel.
‘For the past four months, communities have welcomed this sacred piece of American history with incredible emotion,’ stated Frank Siller, Chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers.
During the Indianapolis ceremony, attendees experienced a color guard, a pipes and drums procession, and a rendition of the national anthem by the Voices of the Indianapolis Fire Department. Mike Gatliff, the Chaplain of the Indianapolis Fire Department, delivered the invocation.
Fire Division Chief Tom Neal and retired Major General Timothy Winslow spoke about the connection between local first responders, veterans, and the 9/11 legacy. Lt. Jack Kielty of FDNY, a board member of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, emphasized the significance of bringing the steel to a museum that symbolizes American sacrifice.
Indiana’s tie to the tragedy includes the loss of nine natives on September 11 and the response of Indianapolis Task Force One at Ground Zero. Six of its members later succumbed to illnesses from exposure to toxic debris.
Marine Corps veteran Scott Nokes highlighted the personal impact of seeing the steel. ‘Out of the 2,977 lives lost, over 1,000 bodies were never recovered from Ground Zero,’ Nokes explained. ‘Their souls are in that steel.’
The tour seeks to connect younger generations, unfamiliar with the events of 9/11, to the history. The exhibit, which appeared at the Cincinnati Fire Museum after Indianapolis, will continue to West Point, Boston, and Washington, D.C.
On September 11, the steel will return to New York, escorted through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel by Frank Siller and his family. This journey retraces the route of Stephen Siller, who ran toward the World Trade Center with 60 pounds of gear on his back. The procession will pass through the tunnel, but the beam will not stop at the World Trade Center site.