Beams From Fallen Trade Center Towers to Rise Again at Napa 9/11 Memorial

Community volunteers and local students will be on hand this Thursday morning, June 13, to bury concrete and steel remnants from the World Trade Center in a vault at the site of Napa’s 9/11 Memorial.

 Formerly attached to six steel beams obtained from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, these remnant pieces, affixed to the beams as debris, have been removed in preparation for the memorial sculpture.

In accordance with Port Authority protocol, the recovered remnants have been preserved and will rest alongside the sculpture in perpetuity to honor those who died that day.

The public is invited to the 9 a.m. ceremony, where students will bury the remnants at the park site off Main Street, near the eastern entrance of Kohl’s Department Store.

Afterwards, the vault will be sealed, and the site readied for installation of the beams and construction of walkways and seat walls.

On Wednesday, June 26, everyone is invited to come and watch as four immense beams, averaging 22’ in height, will be lifted onto the memorial site.

The beams have been retrofitted to hold glass panels etched with names of each victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Members of the 9/11 Memorial Coalition have planned a brief moment of acknowledgement to honor and celebrate this milestone in the creation of the memorial, a community-wide effort that started in 2010.

Work will be stopped that morning around 9:40 a.m. for a few words of thanks from members of the coalition and design team. It will be an opportunity to thank all who have donated to the memorial fund and to the contractors and suppliers who have generously provided equipment and labor.

 Every donor will be acknowledged with a plaque to be installed at the site upon completion of the project.

“it is thrilling to finally see these steel beams go up as symbol of our community spirit, generosity, and dedication," said Jim Asbury, who leads the 9/11 Memorial Coalition. "It is the final leg of their journey across the country to their place in Napa, honoring those lost in the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.

"It is a great moment of pride for all of us in Napa, and everyone is invited to participate,” he said.

The 9/11 Memorial Sculpture and Garden will be completed this summer. To learn more about the project and to make a donation, visit napa911memorial.org.