09/08/2021
The story of the World Trade Center steel beam in Brandon VT
After the September 11th tragedy of 2001 in which the Twin Towers in New York City were targeted, Americans grieved the senseless loss of life, in addition to those lives lost in the attack on the Pentagon and Flight 93. The coordinated attack on America was a loss many of us today remember as an extreme time of sadness, but also a time where we saw all Americans come together like never before.
Some 9 years later, on September 27, 2010 after lengthy research and communication, I signed a contract with the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to obtain a steel beam identified as I-93 in the Port Authority’s World Trade Center Archive. The beam was turned over to the Brandon Police Department on behalf of the Town of Brandon. Here the steel beam was stored while Town officials and community members discussed the proper site for the beam. Several spots were looked at but none decided upon. The center of town was the most sought-after location, however the uncertainty of the Route 7 project was still an unknown as to what the center of town would look like.
Finally, after storing the steel beam for several years, we decided it was time to find a home to remember those fellow Americans who were lost on that tragic day. We began in August of 2015 with the digging and construction. The Brandon Public Works Director along with Brandon Highway Department members began the excavation of the final resting spot outside of the Brandon Police Department. Resident/Volunteer Raymond Jobst assisted in much of the work and fabricated the steel stand our steel beam rests on. He also designed the memorial site. After a few weeks of construction, the steel beam was finally placed and our first 911 Memorial Service was held at Brandon PD and attended by members of the community, Town officials, members of the Brandon Fire Department and members of the Brandon Area Rescue Squad.
As we approach the 20th anniversary of this tragic day in America, let us not forget those lives lost, and the lives of the brave service men and women who have since continued to fight for our freedom as a result of these attacks. Please join us on September 11, 2021 at 9:00AM for a short memorial service led by Brandon’s American Legion Post. All are welcome.
As you remember those lives lost, and those who continue to fight for our freedoms, please also remember that feeling of what it was like to be an American and how we all stood together.
