On a busy road that passes over Route 35, has on and off ramps to the highway, runs through a commercial district, passes the Fairfield Mall, and ends at Wright State University, stands an iron structure that memorializes the events of September 11, 2001.
The Beavercreek 9/11 Memorial is a section of the North Tower from the World Trade Center, and is located along the bike path at the Beavercreek Station. This memorial park was dedicated ten years after the attacks on September 11, 2011. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a section of steel from the North Tower that was first struck on the morning of September 11, 2001.
The City of Beavercreek accepted this remnant of the World Trade Center from the New York/New Jersey Port Authority. Two Beavercreek firefighters were part of Ohio Task Force One that participated in rescue operations immediately after the attack helped carefully transport back to Beavercreek.
Thousands of people drive past this structure daily. I wonder if they notice this contorted piece of metal reaching to the sky and wonder what it's for. Those of us who are old enough remember exactly where we were, the horror of that day, and the hope that came from it. Maybe a child will see it and ask mom or dad, "What's that?" Then they share the story of that September day.
The hope is that this memorial park serves as an educational tool for those that are too young to remember the events of September 11th, 2001, and to remind all others of the lives that were lost and of the sacrifices that are made every day by our first responders. It's a peaceful reminder of the past and hope for the future.
Never forget.
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