Cincinnati hosts 21-foot 9/11 steel beam as tour marks 25th anniversary

A 21-foot steel beam salvaged from the World Trade Center’s South Tower, weighing about 17,000 pounds, was displayed at the Cincinnati Fire Museum as the latest stop on Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” tour marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks. Frank Siller, the foundation’s chairman and CEO, emphasized the importance of remembering the nation’s heroes and victims. Former Marine infantryman and foundation ambassador Scott Nokes, who survived severe injuries and now lives in a mortgage-free smart home provided by the organization, joined local firefighters, FDNY members, veterans and community leaders for the ceremony.

The program included a color guard, bagpipes, the national anthem, a blessing of the beam, a moment of silence and a Steel Flag presentation. The traveling memorial has visited 21 states and will conclude with stops at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Sept. 1, the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston on Sept. 3, the White House on Sept. 8, and finally New York City. The foundation also plans to deliver 343 mortgage-free homes to families of the FDNY firefighters who perished on 9/11.