Tunnel to Towers bring steel beam back to Ground Zero
Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller and his nephew, Stephen Siller Jr., spoke about the emotional return of a World Trade Center steel beam to Ground Zero in tribute to the heroes of September 11. Together, they also followed the final route taken by FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel.
As the nation observed the solemn 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Tunnel to Towers Foundation chairman and CEO Frank Siller joined relatives in honoring his late brother, Stephen Siller. Stephen, a 34-year-old husband, father and New York City firefighter, had finished an overnight shift when he learned of the attack, shouldered his gear and made his way on foot through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel toward the Twin Towers, where he ultimately gave his life.
In a statement, Tunnel to Towers said the family’s walk carried more than remembrance — it carried Stephen’s enduring legacy and a vow that his sacrifice, along with the sacrifices of so many others, would “Never Be Forgotten.”
The tribute also marked the final chapter of the foundation’s “Steel Across America” tour, which brought a steel beam from one of the World Trade Center towers across the country before returning it to New York for the Siller family’s tunnel walk.
Stephen Siller Jr. (left) and Tunnel to Towers Foundation chairman and CEO Frank Siller (right) appeared on “Fox & Friends” (Fox News Channel)
According to the organization, Friday morning’s walk through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel helped close out a four-and-a-half-month journey that carried a 21-foot, 16,900-pound piece of World Trade Center steel more than 10,500 miles. The beam made nearly 40 stops in more than 21 states, serving as a powerful gathering point for communities to reflect on September 11, honor first responders and veterans, and help younger Americans understand the lasting significance of the attacks.
Stephen Siller Jr., who was only 9 months old when his father was killed, appeared Friday morning on “Fox & Friends” and reflected on what the foundation has meant to his family. He said Tunnel to Towers has given them an extraordinary gift by keeping his father’s memory alive, noting that the organization holds events nationwide and helps people every day in Stephen’s name.
Tunnel to Towers has said Stephen Siller responded to the September 11 attacks after he had already completed an overnight shift with the FDNY.
On the morning of Sept. 11, Stephen had planned to play golf with his brothers after work when he heard reports of the World Trade Center attacks on his personal scanner. He turned back toward Manhattan to help. When he discovered his company had already been dispatched and the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was closed to vehicles, he strapped on about 60 pounds of firefighting equipment and continued through the tunnel on foot toward the Twin Towers. Like thousands of others that day, he never returned home.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in memory of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who died while responding to the September 11 attacks. (Tunnel to Towers Foundation)
Founded in the aftermath of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation says its mission is to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families and families of fallen first responders with young children, as well as building specially adapted smart homes for severely injured veterans and first responders. The foundation also offers children of home recipients full scholarships for undergraduate education and accredited trade school programs, while continuing its broader work to combat veteran homelessness and preserve the memory of September 11, 2001.
