Frank Chan drove across Ohio to touch a 17,000-pound piece of metal.
The 78-year-old U.S. Army veteran pushed through his arthritis and left Columbus on Aug. 22, arriving before the steel beam was displayed in a downtown Cincinnati parking lot. He'd never seen a piece of the World Trade Center before.
"I think everyone should remember their history," Chan said.
The 21-foot-long piece of metal was recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The Cincinnati visit was part of a national tour honoring the upcoming 25th anniversary of the day when 2,977 people lost their lives in New York City.
Community overpowers grief at 9/11 ceremony
Before the hour-long ceremony, dozens of people gathered Downtown to mingle with visiting New York
City firefighters and take photos of the beam. Some lingered quietly near the steel while others shared stories with first responders. The sense of community in the air seemed to outweigh grief.
Joseph LaPointe, the former New York City Fire Department lieutenant in charge of ceremonies, said his group of New York first responders was welcomed with reverence by the Cincinnati Fire Department. They had a cookout the night of Aug. 21.
Since May, LaPointe said he visited about 25 different cities on the tour. He said remembering those who died is what gives him peace.
Three hundred forty-three members of the New York City Fire Department died that day, LaPointe said. "Less than half the guys were ever recovered," he said.
Cincinnati Assistant Fire Chief Matt Flagler said what struck him about the New York City first responders was their selflessness. "The sense of fear is far eclipsed by the sense of wanting to help," Flagler said.
Cincinnati firefighter offered to help at Ground Zero
Bill "Gumby" Donovan, special events coordinator for the Cincinnati Fire Museum, said he was off-duty getting a haircut when he saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center on TV.
"If you need paramedics, I'm on the next flight," the now-retired Cincinnati firefighter said he told officials that day.
But Gumby was told he could stay put. Extra medics weren't needed because there weren't many survivors, he said.
LaPointe was at his side job when he heard about the attack on the radio. He said he grabbed the firefighting gear he kept in his car and boarded a ferry from Staten Island.
He was on the boat when he saw the towers come down, he said. A priest on board blessed everyone, just in case.
Many adults born after attacks
Robert Rudy, who has been driving a smaller piece of World Trade Center steel around the Greater Cincinnati area since 2015, said he often sees younger children struggling to read the sign posted alongside his 2-ton piece of steel.
Flagler said he thinks often about how over 100 Cincinnati firefighters were born after September 11, 2001. Seeing the steel serves as a "tangible reminder" of the attacks' destruction for those who didn't hear learn about them until their anniversary, he said.
LaPointe said there is no greater honor than helping people who did not experience the attacks firsthand understand the weight they carry.
"This steel beam is sacred," LaPointe said.
The World Trade Center beam is scheduled to visit three more stops before completing its tour back at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2026.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati gathers to remember 9/11, see tower's 'sacred' steel beam
