9/11 memorial trailer arrives at the Capitol ahead of Patriot Day
KINGDOM CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A mobile 9/11 memorial arrived Wednesday night in Jefferson City, ahead of planned weekend Patriot Day events.
The memorial, being towed by a semi-truck in a 40-foot-long trailer, pulled into the Kingdom City Missouri Fire Fighter Memorial on Wednesday afternoon before a motorcade escorted it to the state's capital.
"We're doing this because we want to make sure that people don't forget," said Mitch Mendlar, the President of World Memorial.
The sides of the trailer say "Never Forget" and include the names of people who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, when planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back against hijackers.
"On 9/11 in New York City, probably well over a few 10,000 public safety people rescued, as many as 25,000 in the greatest rescue operation in the history of Earth," Mendlar said. "Unfortunately, 430 people, men and women gave their lives in the line of duty and sacrificed themselves for people that they don't know. So we're doing this because we want to honor the people who lost their lives and we want to support the families."
Inside is a 720-pound piece of the south World Trade Center tower.
It's from the southeast corner of the 43rd floor -- and one of 236 pieces of steel that have been studied by the National Standards and Technology Institute in Maryland to find out why the towers collapsed.
Accompanying the trailer is retired New York Fire Department Lt. Joe Torrillo -- also known as "the last firefighter." He was found alive and pulled from the towers after being presumed dead for three days.
"I promised myself I would travel all over this country making our nation the 'Re-United States of America,' bringing people together, resurrecting patriotism, traveling with a huge American flag putting new glory in old glory and keeping the memory alive so that people will never forget what happened on that day and the innocent victims that lost their lives and those that gave their lives in the greatest rescue effort that I've ever witnessed," Torrillo said.
The trailer will be remain at the Capitol for a two-day event Saturday and Sunday. The events include the dedication of Veteran's Plaza at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. A parade through downtown will start at noon.
