The township of Wayne is set to unveil a piece of structural steel salvaged from the World Trade Center site during a public remembrance ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The installation of the historic artifact will provide the Passaic County municipality with a permanent, physical tribute dedicated to honoring the victims and reflecting upon the resilience of the nation.
The township's annual 9/11 memorial ceremony is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. within the municipal park situated on the Nellis Drive side of the local town hall building, located at 475 Valley Road. This designated memorial space stands as an enduring municipal sanctuary honoring seven Wayne community members who lost their lives during the terror attacks, which claimed a total of 2,977 victims.
The newly installed historical monument consists of a 3-foot steel beam that has been mounted securely atop a solid granite block at the main entrance to the memorial park. Township officials have confirmed that while the structural artifact is currently set in place, a dedicated bronze plaque providing further commemorative context will be formally added to the display at a subsequent date.
The effort to acquire and display the World Trade Center artifact was spearheaded by Councilman Frank Pietropaolo, who officially announced the project during a public Township Council meeting held on Sept. 2. Pietropaolo shared with his council colleagues and the public that bringing an authentic piece of Ground Zero steel to Wayne was an endeavor he had long hoped to accomplish.
Pietropaolo’s initiative was motivated by his deep personal connection to the disaster and its immediate aftermath. In his professional career outside of public office, Pietropaolo serves as the director of construction services for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc., a contracting company that participated directly in the urgent emergency response operations in lower Manhattan following the disaster.
On Sept. 12, 2001, the morning immediately following the collapse of the Twin Towers, J. Fletcher Creamer was among dozens of contracting and construction firms that mobilized specialized excavation machinery to help clear mountains of rubble and debris at Ground Zero. Pietropaolo traveled directly to the disaster site riding inside a lowboy tractor-trailer hauling critical heavy machinery into the city.
During that solemn journey toward Manhattan, Pietropaolo observed countless citizens and onlookers lining the highways and overpasses, waving flags and cheering on the emergency responders and heavy equipment operators heading into the devastation. He reflected that the overwhelming display of national unity and patriotism left a lasting impression that continues to give him chills, serving as the emotional catalyst for his persistent efforts to secure the steel beam for Wayne.
Securing the historical artifact required an extensive administrative and research process that began long before the monument's scheduled unveiling. After obtaining permission from the Wayne township administration, Pietropaolo started researching potential avenues for acquiring a piece of recovered World Trade Center steel roughly a year ago, initiating the effort prior to being elected to the Township Council.
Although the councilman opted not to publicly disclose the precise original source of the structural artifact, he revealed that the Association of Former New Jersey State Troopers Inc. played an instrumental role in facilitating the necessary connections to help the township locate and secure the steel beam.
The entire project was completed without expenditure from the municipal operating budget, as the overall costs required to establish the memorial were covered completely through private contributions. Pietropaolo expressed his appreciation to local first responders as well as private corporate contributors, extending specific thanks to Hackensack-based J. Fletcher Creamer and Wayne-based Salomone Bros. Inc. for their essential support.
Following the formal announcement of the memorial beam's installation, Township Council President Michael Fattal praised the initiative on behalf of the municipal governing body. Fattal thanked Pietropaolo for spearheading the undertaking and commended the township administration for offering steadfast logistical backing and completing the necessary municipal work to bring the memorial project to fruition.
The unveiling in Wayne highlights a rare opportunity for local communities, as authentic steel recovered from Ground Zero has become increasingly difficult to obtain in recent years. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversaw the salvage and cataloging of materials from the World Trade Center site, concluded its official artifact giveaway program a decade ago.
Throughout the duration of that historic distribution program, the Port Authority handed out approximately 2,600 pieces of salvaged structural steel and other recovered items to recipients across all 50 U.S. states and ten foreign countries. The distributed items encompassed a wide variety of historic objects from the disaster site, including PATH train rail cars, remnants of gift shop merchandise, and structural sections of the 360-foot telecommunications antenna that previously stood atop the north tower.
While a quarter-century has elapsed since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, salvaged steel artifacts remain widely recognized as profound emblems that evoke enduring feelings of resilience and remembrance. Through the public dedication of this 3-foot beam, Wayne Township ensures that the memory of the 2,977 victims and the profound sacrifice of that day will remain permanently commemorated for future generations.
(0)