Essex County Obtains World Trade Center Steel

The Sept. 11 memorial at Eagle Rock Reservation has, for nearly a decade, existed as a place of reflection and remembrance. As the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks draws near, Essex County has obtained the final piece needed to complete its tribute to all those who perished that fateful Tuesday morning.

A 7,400-pound piece of steel and concrete, once used to support the underground parking garage at the World Trade Center, was picked up this morning from a hangar at John F. Kennedy International Airport by public works employees, and brought to the public works garage in Cedar Grove. On Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks, it will be added to the Eagle Rock memorial.

The piece features two large, rusted steel beams, vaguely in the shape of a letter V. They sit in a bed of reinforced concrete. It shows obvious wear, a reminder of the untold heat and force it endured as the towers collapsed on top of it.

County public works employees said seeing all the rubble and debris at the hangar, which included smashed emergency vehicles and steel girders bent "like rubber bands," gave them the chills.

"It brought back a lot of memories," said Sal Macaluso.

"Seeing the wreckage in person is a lot different than seeing it on TV."

Others described the contents of the hangar as "humbling," and "awe inspiring"

"This piece of steel is dedicated to the EMT and first responders who gave their lives that day," Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. told Patch Wednesday.

"I don't want people to ever forget that day," he said, speaking of the memorial as a whole.

"I wanted something that would honor all 3,000 people, whether police, fire, EMT or everyday citizens."

Bringing the memorial to fruition was a goal of DiVincenzo's even before he was elected county executive. Beginning in 2001, when he was President of the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, DiVincenzo started a fund to build a memorial at Eagle Rock Reservation. Within one year, $1.2 million -- $750,000 in donations, $450,000 as in-kind contributions of labor -- was raised, and the monument was born.

Over the years, it has been gradually built up to include every victim's name, which DiVincenzo says makes it the first 9/11 memorial in the country to feature the names of every single victim.

When the steel is finally added to the memorial, it will be displayed alongside an American Flag that has flown above the Sept. 11 memorial at Ground Zero, which was given to DiVincenzo by Port Authority Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni.

The monument's focal point is a statue of a little girl clutching a teddy bear. Behind her stands a large statue of an open book, in which the names of Essex County's 57 victims of the attacks are set in iron. Behind it, a statue of an eagle, wings open, soars majestically, as if flying from New York City.

DiVincenzo said completing the memorial in time for the 10-year anniversary is one of his proudest achievements as county executive.

"Everyone knows about our memorial now because of what we did. It's all about remembering and having pride. For us to show what we were able to accomplish in such a short period of time is a big source of pride for Essex County."

"It's like having a museum in your back yard," he added.

DiVincenzo will be at the Eagle Rock Reservation memorial for a ceremony starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, where the piece of steel will be officially dedicated and take its place among the other relics of that September morning that changed the world.