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YORKTOWN, N.Y.-- On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 the sun shone brightly over the twin towersbut just hours later, the buildings would no longer exist. Now, 10 years later, the sun will shine brightly on two pieces of steel from those towers, and cast a shadow in the Lake Mohegan Fire Department Jefferson Valley Fire Station parking lot, in the shape of those two towers.
We wanted to get it to have a memorial here, said Steven Yagoda, co-chair on the committee for the memorial. We wanted something here in the fire district to remember the World Trade Center, and everyone from that day.
In 2009 the fire department sent a letter to the port authority requesting two 4-foot pieces of steel. Two years later, this past May, 12 members of the Lake Mohegan Fire Department drove to JFK Airport, into Hanger number 17, to pick up the pieces of steel that now stand as a memorial for 9/11.
Its hard to imagine that it has been 10 years since it happened, said Bob Gordineer, co-chair of the committee. And its hard to imagine that these pieces were once part of the buildings.
Now the two pieces of steal, at about 450 pounds each are anchored into the ground in their original condition, and will be dedicated on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Its emotional to see these pieces of steel here that were once part of a building, said Rob Piazza, president of the fire company. I think the biggest testimony to the fact that its emotional is that it has only been here a few days and it has already had an effect in the area. People have been driving by to see it, to leave candles and flowers.
Barry Brown, deputy fire chief, who was one of many in the department who went down to New York City to help in the days after 9/11, said the response from the community already -- even before the ceremony -- has been overwhelming.
Yagoda estimated it took 2-3 weeks to complete the memorial from start to finish. Although it had its costs, he said two men from Griffins Landscaping Nehemias Rivera and Edwin Ortega, Highland Welding in Peekskill, and an electrician all donated their time to help build the memorial.
Yagoda explained there will be a plaque placed in front of the memorial that says, Never Forget.
Thats all it will say. We dont want to tell anyone what they should remember when they see it, Yagoda said. Its going to be universal. People can come here and define it for themselves.
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