World Trade Center Steel arrives in Kingston, TN!
Here is the article written by JILL MCNEAL, 6 News Anchor/Reporter
KINGSTON (WATE) – Pieces of the World Trade Center came to East Tennessee Friday as the nation prepares to mark the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The steel beams were pulled from the rubble to become part of memorials to the thousands who died or had their lives forever changed.
Members of the military, law enforcement and families lined the street as the truck from New York pulled into Kingston.
The man behind this mission is Andrew Benson. “Coming off I-40 and seeing all the people, it’s an honor and a privilege to be here,” he said.
Benson is a Cumberland County firefighter and TVA maintenance coordinator, as well as a native New Yorker and retired Navy officer.
He lost three friends on 9/11, two firefighters and a shipmate. Benson went to New York earlier this week to claim two pieces of World Trade Center steel, one for Roane County and one for Cumberland County.
“All the steel was kept in a hangar and we had a chance to walk through it and just to see what happened. It takes your breath away, all the twisted metal and vehicles. You don’t know what to say,” Benson said.
Plans are still in the works for the exact design of the memorials.
“The design is going to be employee-driven. We’re going to allow the employees to get the dimensions of the steel and for them to come up with a memorial fitting the tribute that we’re going to try to hold here on September 11,” said TVA maintenance manager Mark Littlejohn.
The Kingston memorial will be on TVA property, but accessible to the public.
“We cannot forget what happened that day. Everybody has their lives, but we need something to actually put our hands on and see what happened that day,” Benson said.
TVA employees are working on arrangements for a ceremony at the Kingston memorial in September for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Also, we’re told the memorial may be expanded at a later date
A large piece of steel from the World Trade Center has arrived in Roane County. It will soon be part of a 9-11 Memorial next to the Kingston Fossil Plant.
A motorcade escorted two pieces of steel from the Tennessee state line on I-81 near Bristol to Kingston early Friday morning. As the truck arrived at the plant, people lined the drive with American flags.
TVA crews hauled the steel to the Kingston fossil plant, where one piece will become the centerpiece for a 9-11 memorial in the Roane county area, and the second was moved to Cumberland County for a memorial at the Cumberland County Volunteer Rescue Squad.
“Tour buses and school buses would go by, and would actually slow down to take pictures, so people would actually have a chance to see what was going on as they drove by,” said TVA worker Andrew Benson, who accompanied the steel from New York
TVA’s Mark Littlejohn said,”We’ve got the steel coming in today for the purpose of setting up a memorial here on the Kingston site.”
As helicopters flew over, children watched the service that commemorated the steel’s arrival in East Tennessee.
Michaela Stanton said she’s here “to honor the people who were killed when the terrorists hit the Twin Towers.”
And as veterans groups escorted the flag draped steel onto TVA land, Isaiah Murphy said he’s here “to see the memorial about the World Trade Center”
“This is going to be a community memorial,” explained Littlejohn. The Kingston memorial will be on TVA land, but is accessible to the public.
The ceremony began with a remembrance of those who died in the Twin Towers. “Fireman Thomas Foley of Rescue Three and Peter Benfield of Ladder Forty Two who lost their lives on 9-11,” remembered Benson. He then memorialized the firefighters with the tradition of the “Sounding of the Bell,” which is done by ringing a bell which signifies the firefighter’s last call at the end of the day.
The flags draped over the steel were removed and folded by an honor guard, and then they were given to local firefighters to remember the day’s ceremonies.
Isaac Murphy remembered “I got to see the pieces of the 9-11” steel.
“Having a chance to do this, it’s not for me, it’s for everybody here because we cannot forget what happened that day,” stated Benson
Isaiah Murphy felt that “it’s just different, because it’s not in New York. You always hear about it on TV, but never in Tennessee or anywhere like this.”
TVA officials said they plan to have the Kingston Memorial open by this September 11th.
The Cumberland County Volunteer Rescue Squad will use the other piece of steel for their memorial sometime in the future.
America Henry Photography 