A 16,000-pound steel beam salvaged from the ruins of the World Trade Center will soon embark on a 10,000-mile journey across the United States to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller announced Tuesday.
According to Fox News, the "Steel Across America" tour will begin May 2 at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan and span more than 10,500 miles, stopping at 35 locations across 21 states and the District of Columbia. The effort reflects a distinctly American approach to remembrance: taking a symbol of national tragedy on the road to small towns and major cities alike, uniting citizens around shared sacrifice rather than partisan division.
"We wanted to make sure the foundation did something important, significant. That we shine a light on the sacrifice that was made" Siller told "Fox & Friends." "We want to make sure America remembers what happened 25 years ago when we lost 2,977 lives."
The tours itinerary underscores the scale of the project, with stops at the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania, the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Space Center Houston and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Major League ballparks across the country will also host the beam, bringing the story of 9/11 into the heart of Americas pastime and reaching families who might otherwise never visit New York or the official memorial sites.
The journey will culminate with the steels return to New York on Friday, September 11, closing a symbolic loop that began in the ashes of the Twin Towers. For many Americans, that date remains a solemn reminder not only of loss, but of courage, unity and the need for vigilance against terrorism.
Siller said he will join the cross-country tour at various points alongside his nephew, Stephen Siller Jr., son of his late brother, FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died in the line of duty on 9/11. "This beautiful truck that we built for it [the steel] to go around, it's going to be lit at night, and we have a whole team going around, one of which is one of Stephen's sons, Stephen Jr."
In addition to the beam, the tour will feature a traveling 9/11 exhibit aimed at educating younger generations about the attacks and the heroism displayed that day. The exhibit includes artifacts recovered from Ground Zero and interactive displays that walk visitors through the events of September 11, ensuring that those who were not yet born or who were too young to remember can grasp the gravity of what occurred.
"A lot of people weren't even born then. Obviously, [if they are] 25 years or younger, they don't even know the story of 9/11," Siller said, emphasizing the need to preserve historical memory in an era of cultural amnesia. By taking the story directly to communities, the foundation reinforces a conservative conviction that patriotism and historical truth should be taught not erased or diluted.
Siller also revealed that he recently met with President Donald Trump to discuss incorporating the steel into a South Lawn ceremony as part of the 25th anniversary observance. "He's a New Yorker, so he knows all about 9/11. He cares. He loves the Tunnel to Towers Foundation" Siller said.
"But right away, I said, Can we bring the piece of steel on the South Lawn? He just reached across the Resolute Desk, shakes my hand, says, Frank, yeah, let's get this done.' He brought his staff right in. What was supposed to be a 20-minute meeting ended up being about an hour and 20 minutes because, like I said, we're New Yorkers, and we connect on a lot of things that mean a lot to all of us, and we both love America." In an age when too many institutions shy away from unapologetic patriotism, the partnership between the White House and Tunnel to Towers signals a renewed commitment to honoring first responders, defending American values and ensuring that the lessons of 9/11 are neither forgotten nor rewritten.
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