World Trade Center steel beam arrives at West Point for 9/11 remembrance tour

A massive steel beam salvaged from the South Tower of the World Trade Center arrived at the United States Military Academy at West Point as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Steel Across America commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Weighing 16,900 pounds and measuring 21 feet, the piece was unveiled during a ceremony attended by cadets, staff, and guests, featuring a color guard and Pipes & Drums procession by members of the NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Police Department.

West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III said the beam symbolizes the courage of first responders like Stephen Siller and the generations of officers who later served in subsequent wars. Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers and brother of fallen firefighter Stephen Siller, recounted his sibling's heroic run through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel on 9/11. The event also included remarks from Colonel Dan Steuwe, who described an emblem of solidarity between firefighters and soldiers, and emotional reflections from Kelly Heffner, who felt the beam’s “energy.” After the program, participants could approach the steel for personal contemplation, and the tour is slated to visit the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston on Thursday.