A 21-foot steel beam, recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, was delivered to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday. This arrival brought a tangible piece of the September 11 attacks to an institution renowned for training generations of Army officers who would later deploy in the conflicts that ensued.
Weighing 16,900 pounds, the beam's journey to West Point is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s “Steel Across America” tour, a nationwide initiative designed to observe the upcoming 25th anniversary of the attacks. The ceremony held on Tuesday marked the 33rd stop on this commemorative tour.
A Symbol of Enduring Courage and Service
Lieutenant General James B. Bartholomees III, West Point’s Superintendent, emphasized how this steel artifact bridges the valor displayed by first responders on September 11th with the dedication of Americans who chose to serve in the years that followed.
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. Today, young men and women continue that legacy of service, guided by duty, honor country.
The event brought together cadets, faculty members, staff, and invited guests. It commenced with a color guard presentation and a pipe and drum procession, featuring members from the New York City Police Department, the New York City Fire Department, and the Port Authority Police Department. The program also included the national anthem, an invocation, a blessing of the steel, and a moment of quiet reflection accompanied by a rendition of “Amazing Grace.”
Honoring a Fallen Hero
Frank Siller, the chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and brother of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, recounted his brother’s final actions on that fateful day.
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.
He further elaborated on the shared values that connect different forms of service:
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 September 11 is never forgotten.
According to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Stephen Siller was not on duty when the attacks began. He made the heroic decision to run through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, carrying 60 pounds of equipment toward the World Trade Center, where he ultimately perished while responding to the emergency.
The foundation established in his memory is dedicated to providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families and families of fallen first responders with young children. It also constructs specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, and actively works to combat veteran homelessness.
Personal Reflections and Shared Purpose
For some attendees gathered around the beam on Tuesday, its presence at West Point underscored a profound personal connection between the first responders who rushed into the collapsing towers and the service members who deployed overseas in the subsequent years.
Colonel Dan Stuewe of the U.S. Army recalled a particular image that he said many soldiers in his platoon carried with them after 9/11 as they prepared for deployment abroad.
There was a cartoon character that a lot of the soldiers in my platoon carried with us after 9-11 as we went overseas. It was one of the firemen handing off the American flag to a service member coming out of the rubble of the towers.
Colonel Stuewe described this image as another powerful symbol of the unity between first responders and military personnel, both “serving something greater than ourselves and protecting this country.”
Kelly Heffner, recognized by Tunnel to Towers as a supporter and corporate sponsor alongside her husband Tom Heffner, became visibly emotional after approaching the South Tower beam.
To touch that beam, there’s an energy with it, and it brings you back and it — you know that you can never forget.
The arrival of this artifact at West Point occurs nearly a quarter-century after the September 11 attacks propelled a generation of American service members into combat zones in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters as part of the global war on terror.
A Lasting Legacy
Later in the program, Lieutenant General Bartholomees joined Frank Siller to accept a commemorative steel flag on behalf of West Point. This custom-crafted piece features the New York City skyline and the Twin Towers, incorporating actual World Trade Center steel. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation presents these flags to individuals and institutions that have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the foundation’s mission.
Following the formal proceedings, attendees were invited to approach the beam individually, offering an opportunity for personal reflection beside the steel artifact.
The Steel Across America tour is scheduled to continue its journey on Thursday at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston.