The Elkhart Fire Department and Mayor Tim Neese will host an official dedication of the city’s newly constructed 9/11 Memorial this weekend.
The dedication will take place this Sunday, Sep. 11 at 11:30 a.m. and will be held at the Central Fire Station located at 500 East St. in downtown Elkhart. This date marks the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
In 2011, the city of Elkhart received a 40-inch piece of the World Trade Center. This memorial marks the first time the piece of steel will be displayed publicly. Construction on the memorial began last week and was completed through contributions by the Elkhart firefighters as well as several local businesses.
The memorial includes two stainless steel towers, each 93 inches tall, representative of United Airlines Flight 93. The 40-inch piece of the World Trade Center is mounted to a placard in front of the towers. The front of the memorial also contains a plaque showcasing the state of Pennsylvania and the words “Let’s Roll,” in honor of the heroic fight by those on Flight 93. All of this is encompassed in a concrete slab in the shape of the Pentagon. The concrete was specifically requested to resemble the color of the Pentagon in Washington D.C.
Also incorporated in the memorial is a tree representing the lone Callery tree which remained standing at Ground Zero. After being removed from the rubble and rehabilitated, the tree was eventually returned to New York City’s 9/11 Memorial in 2010.
