Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Siller Family Retraces 9/11 Firefighter's Final Run as 21-Foot WTC Beam Tour Ends
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

Siller Family Retraces 9/11 Firefighter's Final Run as 21-Foot WTC Beam Tour Ends

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

Summary

  • Frank Siller and Stephen Siller Jr. walked the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel on Friday, retracing firefighter Stephen Siller’s final route to Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
  • The walk capped Tunnel to Towers’ “Steel Across America” tour, which carried a 21-foot, 16,900-pound World Trade Center steel beam more than 10,500 miles over four-and-a-half months.
  • The beam stopped at nearly 40 sites in more than 21 states, serving as a focal point for communities honoring 9/11 victims, first responders and veterans.
  • Stephen Siller, 34, had finished an overnight FDNY shift in 2001 when he turned back toward Manhattan, strapped on 60 pounds of gear and ran through the tunnel after traffic was shut down.
  • Tunnel to Towers, founded in his memory, now provides mortgage-free homes, adapted smart homes, scholarships and veteran homelessness support while promoting 9/11 remembrance.

Insights

How does a massive World Trade Center steel beam transform national grief into a powerful educational tool 25 years later?
What ongoing struggles do families facing 9/11-related illnesses endure, and how are private foundations stepping in to secure their futures?