Charlottesville, VA – Dozens gathered Friday morning in Charlottesville to officially dedicate a memorial for the men and women who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Fontaine Fire Station lobby displays a 4,000 pound steel strut from the north tower of the World Trade Center, a portion of the Pentagon wall, and a rock from the field in Pennsylvania where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
Everyone who had a hand in getting the 9/11 memorial together attended the final dedication ceremony at the fire station Friday morning.
“This is an example of the community coming together in the best way to bring us together in such a way so that we can remember all that died on 9/11 and honor those that gave their lives to save others, whether it was the firefighters, the police officers, or the heroic passengers on Flight 93,” said Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner.
Charlottesville city councilors, UVA President Teresa Sullivan, and fire chiefs from both Charlottesville and New York gave personal reflections of where they were on 9/11.
The fire department says the main goal of the memorial is to teach younger generations and future children about the tragedy of 9/11 because they would not be old enough to remember it. They want this to be a place to learn and reflect upon.
“It will be a place for learning. It’s not a museum, it’s a living memorial,” Sullivan stated.
The Charlottesville Fire Department has been assembling the pieces of the memorial since 2009. Virginia National Bank donated $30,000 to pay for a majority of the cost.
