Steel Across America Stops at West Point
A steel beam from the World Trade Center was the centerpiece of a ceremony at West Point on September 1 that commemorated the tragic attacks on 9/11.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2TF)’s Steel Across America, a 10,500-mile nationwide journey, stopped at the Malek West Point Visitors Center on its way back to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, from where it launched in May. The steel-and-concrete beam—part of the South Tower of the World Trade Center before falling in the attack—is more than 21 feet long and weighs more than 16,000 pounds.
Members of the public and the U.S. Military Academy joined the NY-NJ Port Authority Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, state troopers, and ceremony units from the FDNY and NYPD at the event, along with the U.S. Army Color Guard from West Point.
“More than 175,000 tons of steel slammed into the ground that day,” explained Salvatore Cassano, T2TF executive board member and former FDNY commissioner, who served as master of ceremonies on September 1. “Now an artifact, this beam…is a memory of a clear morning turned into immeasurable darkness. It is the echo of sirens and screams, but carries the weight of silence.” Yet, Cassano added, it is also a symbol of resilience and the unbreakable spirit of the American people.
LTG James B. Bartholomees III ’95, USMA’s 62nd Superintendent, said that having Steel Across America make a stop at West Point was truly humbling. Acknowledging the mix of military leaders and first responders in the audience, Bartholomees—a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment who jumped into Afghanistan as part of the Global War on Terrorism—called the ceremony a “full-circle moment” that connects “the heroism of so many who gave so much on that tragic day with the leaders who were commissioned out of the United States Military Academy to lead our soldiers into harm’s way to avenge the deaths of so many.”
Bartholomees emphasized the importance of remembering the tragedy that befell the country that day, along with the acts of bravery that followed. Quoting Calvin Coolidge, the Superintendent said, “The nation who forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.”
Four Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War era were present at the Steel Across America event: MG Patrick Brady, COL Joseph Marm, CSM Terry Richardson, and SPC Kenneth David. Their legacy continues at USMA, as some of the honorees have grandchildren who are current cadets. Before ending the ceremony and inviting attendees to view the beam and then enjoy a catered lunch by the T2T Mobile Kitchen, Cassano and Frank Siller, T2TF chairman and CEO, presented Bartholomees with a metal American flag handcrafted from WTC steel.
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