A relic of September 11 arrived on Long Island Monday, carrying with it the weight of a nation’s grief and resolve.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation brought a steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center to the LT Michael P. Murphy Navy SEAL Museum in West Sayville, offering a tangible connection to that day.
The stop is part of a national 'Steel Across America' tour spanning across 35 cities in 21 states, marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The beam, once a support inside the Twin Towers, now stands as a memorial to the nearly 3,000 lives lost and families forever changed.
For first responders who answered the call that day, the artifact is a symbol of the damaged caused to the nation, and every life lost.
"Now an artifact, this beam connected floors in a tower full of voices, laughter and everyday life," said Tom O'Conner, a retired FDNY Lieutenant, "engrained within it are the souls of the lost. Let it be to us a physical representation of what we mean when we say never forget."
The tour began in Lower Manhattan just days ago and will continue coast to coast over 10,000 miles before returning to its final destination - Ground Zero - on September 11.