436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
9/11/2013 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The Eagle Firefighters' Association unveiled Delaware's received its first public Sept. 11 memorial on the 12-year anniversary of the attacks at the Air Mobility Command museum here today.
Delaware is the 50th and final state to receive an official Sept. 11 memorial, which incorporates two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center tower one, a rock from the United Airlines Flight 93 crash site and a block from the damaged portion of the Pentagon. The steel was acquired through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey World Trade Center steel program. The event was attended by dignitaries such as Delaware governor Jack Markell and NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch.
"It is amazing. We sent the original request to get the steel on Sept. 11, 2009," said Rodney Coleman, 436th Civil Engineer Squadron deputy fire chief. "And, we received the steel on August 10, 2010, and after some setbacks, we are glad we finally finished it."
The memorial is a gift from the Eagle Firefighters Association to the Dover AFB.
"Having this memorial means Team Dover and the local community will be able to pay their respects," Col. Randall Huiss, 436th Airlift Wing vice commander. "With a significant event, such as Sept. 11, having the memorial here next to the AMC museum is important because it allows more people to pay those respects without the problems of gaining access to the base."
The memorial was slated to be built on base at the firehouse, but the AMC museum was eventually chosen as the location, said Coleman.
"The decision to move the memorial off base was directed from higher power then my own, but the change worked out for the best," said Coleman. "Having the memorial off base at the AMC museum allows for better connections. More people will be able to see this very important and emotional site."
The AMC museum was the chosen location for the memorial said Coleman.
"Having the memorial off base at the AMC museum allows for better connections," said Coleman. "More people will be able to see this very important and emotional site."
The site went through many transitional phases throughout the four years of planning one of which is money issues.
"We were not able to start the project until we had all the funds," said Aaron Weisenberger, 436th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter. "But, after some aggressive fund raising and businesses donating time, money, and resources, we were finally able to break ground."
The ground breaking of the site, which took place along with local news outlets Aug. 15, caught the attention of one individual, Steven Saymon, a first responder from New Jersey during Sept. 11, 2001, now Philadelphia's 9/11 Memorial founder and president, got wind of the project he took action.
"I was doing some research the other night and came across an article from a local Dover newspaper," said Saymon. "I saw no mention of the Pentagon and I wanted to offer a stone from the Pentagon to the memorialcause at Dover AFB."
He was able to get a hold of a contact a member of Eagle Firefightrers Association, and began coordination to get the vital missing piecelink to them.
"For them to have a block, from the damaged portion of the Pentagon to honor the sacrifices made by all of those since 2001, was important to a military base ," said Saymon. "In honor of the sacrifices made by all of those since 2001."
Saymon said he believes strongly in all the Sept. 11 memorials, which are now in on all 50 states, as well as and seven foreign countries. He said the memorials are a fitting reminder of the sacrifices that were made.
"The sacrifices I made pale in comparison to those who made the ultimate sacrifice," said Saymon. "This Pentagon block is in honor of all who sacrificed and those currently serving, not only in the military, but also as emergency responders around the world."
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