Tallahassee unveils and dedicates 9/11 memorial made from steel beam
After years of waiting, Tallahassee dedicated its 9/11 Memorial in a ceremony Monday morning outside the Capital Area Red Cross building on Easterwood Drive. Mayor John Dailey and County Commission Vice Chair Carolyn Cummings joined Team Guardian and the American Red Cross at the unveiling and dedication in commemoration of that tragic day and paid tribute to first responders.
The memorial includes a steel beam from the World Trade Center's South Tower as well as the names of those who lost their lives that day.
The history: 'A long time coming': The bumpy road leading to a Tallahassee 9/11 memorial
In late 2009, Michael Terhune, a retired Tallahassee firefighter, applied to receive a piece of the World Trade Center through the 9/11 Families Association. And two years later, he was approved and soon received an 11-foot steel south tower beam from the 911 First Responder Memorial Foundation, donated by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. His plan was stuck in what he described as a bureaucratic nightmare with officials for over a decade before the Red Cross and county stepped up with a location.
The beam is what’s called the gnomon of a sundial that will shine down on timestamps throughout the day, from the plane striking the north tower at 8:46 a.m. to (World Trade Center Building 7) collapsing at 5:20 p.m. Off to one side will be a pillar with eight plates etched with the names of those killed in the attack.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee unveils 9/11 memorial made from World Trade Center beam
