World Trade Center Steel Beam Arrives at West Point for 9/11 Commemoration

<p>A 21-foot steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center arrived at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on September 1, 2026, as part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Steel Across America tour, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The beam weighs 16,900 pounds and the ceremony marked the tour's 33rd stop.</p><p>West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. James B. Bartholomees III stated that the steel connects the courage shown by first responders on September 11 with the Americans who served in the subsequent wars.</p><p>“As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, this piece of steel reminds us of the courage of first responders like Stephen Siller and the countless Americans who answered the call in the years that followed, including generations of West Point graduates,” Bartholomees said. “Today, young men and women continue that legacy of service, guided by duty, honor country.”</p><p>The ceremony included cadets, faculty, staff, and guests, featuring a color guard and pipe and drum procession by members of the NYPD, FDNY, and Port Authority Police Department. The program also included the national anthem, an invocation and blessing of the steel, and a moment of reflection accompanied by “Amazing Grace.”</p><p>Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of Tunnel to Towers and brother of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, recalled his brother’s actions on September 11. “Twenty-five years ago, my brother Stephen strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel toward danger, duty and the people who needed him inside those towers,” Siller said. “Duty, honor country: Those values connect West Point cadets, Stephen and first responders all across this country. We are grateful to West Point for welcoming us, and we leave more committed than ever to making sure the sacrifice of September 11 is never forgotten.”</p><p>According to Tunnel to Towers, Stephen Siller was off duty when the attacks began and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel carrying 60 pounds of gear toward the World Trade Center, where he died while responding to the attacks.</p><p>The foundation, created in his memory, provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, builds specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, and works to address veteran homelessness.</p><p>For some attendees, the beam's arrival at West Point represented a personal connection between the first responders who rushed toward the towers and the service members who deployed overseas in the years that followed.</p><p>Col. Dan Stuewe of the U.S. Army recalled an image that many soldiers in his platoon carried with them after September 11 as they went overseas. “There was a cartoon character that a lot of the soldiers in my platoon carried with us after 9-11 as we went overseas,” Stuewe said. “It was one of the firemen handing off the American flag to a service member coming out of the rubble of the towers.” Stuewe described the image as a symbol of the unity between first responders and service members “serving something greater than ourselves and protecting this country.”</p><p>Kelly Heffner, listed by Tunnel to Towers as a supporter and corporate sponsor, expressed her emotions after approaching the South Tower beam. “To touch that beam, there’s an energy with it, and it brings you back and it — you know that you can never forget,” Heffner said.</p><p>The artifact's stop at West Point comes nearly 25 years after the attacks that sent a generation of American service members to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters during the war on terror.</p><p>Bartholomees later joined Siller to receive a commemorative steel flag on behalf of West Point. The custom-built piece features the New York City skyline and Twin Towers and incorporates World Trade Center steel. According to Tunnel to Towers, the flag is presented to individuals and institutions that have demonstrated a commitment to the foundation’s mission.</p><p>After the formal program, attendees were invited to approach the beam and spend time reflecting beside the steel. The Steel Across America tour is scheduled to continue on September 3, 2026, at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston.</p>