Tewksbury Memorial Is Featured at NYC 9/11 Tribute Center

(Editor's note: The following information was supplied by the Tewksbury Sept. 11 Memorial Committee.)

A new exhibit opening at the 9/11 Tribute Center across from the World Trade Center on March 28 will feature eight memorials from around the world that incorporate steel recovered from the World Trade Center.

These memorials are just a few of the thousands worldwide utilizing steel from the original World Trade Center that have been established as part of the global outpouring of grief and support for the victims of September 11.

"These memorials all over the world not only help us remember the attacks on society but will also educate, inspire and enlighten our young. Only through education can we make tomorrow a better day for all," said Lee Ielpi , 9/11 Tribute Center Board President.

The memorials range from a sculpture in the shape of an eternal flame initiated by a Boy Scout in La Quinta, California for his Eagle Scout project, to a granite memorial in Tewksbury, Massachusetts with a portico under which are pavers engraved with names of all of the victims of 9/11. One of the memorials is in the shape of an origami crane and was carried to Japan by members of the 9/11 Tribute Center community as a message of compassion for the victims of the March 2011 tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster.

"The exhibit reveals the deep feelings that people from around the world have in response to the attacks of 9/11," said Meriam Lobel , curator. "Many of the people who contributed to the creation of these memorials volunteered their time as the architect, the engineer, the builder, the cement layer or the fundraiser helping to build a significant remembrance in their hometown. The pieces of steel are powerful in themselves and each community
 has found a way to express its feelings in its own regional or national style."

The memorials were also created to inspire promise for the future, as stated by several of the designers, ordinary citizens, and a U.S. Navy commander cited in the exhibit.

"We know that the steel that is part of the USS New York represents those people who were lost, but for us it also represents hope, and we keep both of those things close to us," stated Curt Jones, Former Commanding Officer of the USS New York.

The exhibit includes memorials from the United States , Italy , New Zealand , England , and Japan , eight of thousands that now exist around the world. After the 2001 terrorist attacks, steel from the twin towers was taken to a hangar at John F Kennedy Airport for storage, according to Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman, with the thought that it might one day contribute to a memorial. Contributions were made to several museums including the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center and the New York State Museum in Albany , NY.

"After the museum staff made their selections, other items, mostly steel, were made available. The program was for four groups primarily: police departments, fire departments, municipal governments and community groups," Coleman said.

Lee Ielpi assisted in outreach for the program to community groups and fire departments. The Port Authority stipulated the artifacts must be publicly displayed and requests for the items had to be accompanied by plans for their use.

"There were about 2,000 requests we tried to fill," Coleman said. "Now that we're at the end of the program, we're down to the remaining handful of pieces."

Adjacent to the panels featuring the stories of these memorials is a small heart cut from steel by FDNY firefighter Carl Scheetz that commemorates the extraordinary efforts of the volunteers that worked on the site.

This exhibit will open on March 28 at the 9/11 Tribute Center , 120 Liberty Street in lower Manhattan . It is supported in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York .

The galleries of the 9/11 Tribute Center are open Monday-Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am- 5 pm. Walking tours of the 9/11 Memorial by volunteers from the 9/11 community are given hourly from 11 am - 3 pm.