Inside the exhibit are artifacts from the towers, and a close up view of “Ground Zero” following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Wendy Post)
On Thursday, May 17, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 9-11 Rolling Museum arrived at Hickories Park in Owego, N.Y., and was escorted from the Home Depot in Johnson City by the New York State Police, the Tioga County Sheriff’s Department, the Patriot Guard, and other patriotic riders.
The exhibit opened to students on May 18, and then opened to all on Saturday and Sunday. Remaining hours on Sunday are from noon to 6 p.m. There is no admission to the museum.
The exhibit is a tribute to all those whose lives were sacrificed on Sept. 11, 2001. It’s also a tool to educate America’s youth about that historic day.
Inside the exhibit are artifacts from the towers, headlines that shocked the nation on that fateful day, and homage paid to the 343 members of the New York Fire Department that made the ultimate sacrifice that day as terrorists plotted an attack on the Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan.
Three hundred and forty-three members of the New York Fire Department that made the ultimate sacrifice are inscribed within the memorial, to include the name of firefighter Thomas Hannafin. (Photo by Wendy Post)
The names of those members are inscribed within the display.
And on Saturday, Ken Easton was found inside the display, reflecting on his fallen, fellow firefighters. Easton, at that time, was serving as the fire chief in Owego, N.Y.
It was March 2, 2002, less than six months after the attacks, that 200 local firefighters from the immediate area, including Easton, traveled to New York City to honor uniformed firefighters and donate money raised through a countywide effort.
Their travel to the city was coordinated by New York City firefighter Kevin Hannafin, who lost his brother on 9-11.
Today, his brother’s name, Thomas Hannafin, is inscribed on the wall of the rolling museum. Thomas Hannafin was last seen on the 27th floor, just moments before the tower collapsed.
Inside the exhibit are headlines that shocked the nation following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Because of all the fundraising efforts, however, which came from individual businesses, proceeds from a blues event, student donations and an outpouring from the community as a whole, Easton was able to present Ladder Company 119, in which Thomas Hannafin was a member of, with a check for over $35,000 to benefit the Widows and Orphans Fund.
On Saturday, Easton sat in reflection. Residing in Daytona, Florida these days with his wife, Donna, Easton was up north for the burial of his mother, and was able to participate in the mobile memorial reflection.
When we met up with Easton on Saturday, he was quick to recall and point out Thomas Hannafin’s name that was inscribed in the wall. Easton also recalled 9-11 as if it were yesterday.
“It was all ash,” said Easton, adding, “I’ll never forget what it looked like, a thick ash covered everything, and then the number of firefighters that were lost.”
Juan Vega, an Army veteran that served in Afghanistan, accompanied the museum crew, and noted that they are traveling to all points around the United States. Today, Vega serves with the New York City Fire Department.
“There are things that aren’t in the history books,” said Vega of the display, adding, “Over 3,200 people died.”
Inside the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 9-11 Rolling Museum is an encased statue that honors all New York Fire Department members and officials that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Wendy Post)
Vega also noted the wall in which the names of the deceased firefighters are inscribed. He stated that the names on the left died at the scene during 9-11; the others, he added, died later from emphysema, cancer, or other respiratory illnesses.
Vega said this as a continuing problem, and suffers himself from some of the same ailments to this date. Vega recommended that anyone that feels they were affected should visit www.vcf.gov for further information.
The memorial itself and the foundation behind it are helping to keep Stephen Siller’s legacy alive, while honoring the thousands who lost their lives on that tragic day.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, Siller called his wife Sally and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.
According to tunnel2towers.org, Siller drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes.
Determined to carry out his duty, Siller strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back, and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the sacrifice of Stephen Siller, who laid down his life to save others on Sept. 11, 2001. It also serves to honor all military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country.
You can read more about the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Memorial and Foundation at tunnel2towers.org.
For more information on the mobile exhibit, visit tunnel2towers.org, or email to Exhibit@Tunnel2Towers.org.
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