Steel Beam from World Trade Center Touring the U.S. in Commemoration of 9/11

A steel beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center, measuring 21 feet and weighing 16,900 pounds, recently reached Indianapolis during a nationwide tour honoring the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This tour, organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, will eventually lead the beam back to Ground Zero.

The “Steel Across America” tour made its 31st stop at the Indiana War Memorial and Museum on August 19. The beam will travel a total of 10,500 miles across 21 states and Washington, D.C. before returning to New York City for the September 11 commemoration. This piece of steel is a powerful reminder of the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost, including civilians, firefighters, police officers, emergency workers, and military personnel.

“For the past four months, communities across the country have welcomed this sacred piece of American history with incredible emotion,” Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller expressed. “Watching people stand in front of that steel, hugging it, praying over it, weeping, reminds me every single day of why we do this work.”

The ceremony in Indianapolis featured a color guard, the Indianapolis Fire Department’s Voices performing the national anthem, a pipes and drums procession, and an invocation from Fire Department Chaplain Mike Gatliff. Speeches by Fire Division Chief Tom Neal and retired Major General Timothy Winslow highlighted the connection between local first responders, veterans, and the legacy of 9/11.

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The steel’s arrival at the Indiana War Memorial, a historic tribute to American sacrifice, was described as deeply moving by FDNY Lt. Jack Kielty, also a Tunnel to Towers board member. The event honored Indiana’s past contributions to the 9/11 efforts, noting that nine Hoosiers lost their lives in the attacks, while members of Indianapolis Task Force One faced tragic illnesses after their rescue work at Ground Zero.

Marine Corps veteran Scott Nokes, a Tunnel to Towers beneficiary, emphasized the experience of seeing the steel in person. “Out of the 2,977 lives that were lost, over 1,000 bodies were never recovered specifically from Ground Zero in New York,” he said. “Their souls are in that steel, and if you touch it, you feel it.”

The tour aims to connect younger Americans, many who were too young to recall or were not alive during the attacks, with this pivotal event. Nokes believes that firsthand exposure to the beam offers an unmatched connection, distinct from books or documentaries.

After Indianapolis, the tour continued to the Cincinnati Fire Museum. The final stops include West Point, Boston, and Washington, D.C., before the steel returns to New York City for the commemoration.

Upon its return on September 11, Frank Siller and his family members will carry the beam through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, as Stephen Siller did 25 years ago, wearing 60 pounds of gear and rushing towards the World Trade Center. However, the piece will not stop at the World Trade Center site.

Andrew Mark Miller, a Fox News reporter, shared insights on Twitter and welcomes tips via email.