HILLIARD, Ohio -- Friday, Sept. 11 marked the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
It was a day of remembrance, a day of patriotism, and a day of unity.
One of the newest ways to pay tribute to those who were lost are two 9/11 memorials that are being built in Old Hilliard and Westerville.
Hilliard’s 9/11 park, known as First Responders Park, will be located on the former site of the grain silos at the corner of Center and Main Street. Westerville’s 9/11 memorial is located next to the West Main Street firehouse.
“Vowing that ‘we will never forget,’ the city of Hilliard, Ohio, is installing one of the largest memorials in the country to pay tribute to first responders everywhere and to ensure that the events of 9/11 are remembered forever,” said a brochure from the Hilliard Mayor’s office.
Firefighter and park founder Tom Ullom explained that the First Responders Park in Westerville consists of a piece of the World Trade Center steel and a 9-foot-tall bronze firefighter sculpture.
“The idea for the park was first created in 1999 after our department lost firefighter Dave Theisen. He was our inspiration for the park, and after the attacks on 9/11 in 2001, we decided to also pay tribute to all those lost,” Ullom said.
After seven years of dedication to the 9/11 memorial project, Ullom received his piece of steel from the World Trade Center to be placed in the Westerville memorial park to go with the statue of Theisen.
“The steel was free, and I was able to go to a warehouse in Maryland where the pieces of steel are held and handpick a piece for the park. It took a lot of work to get the steel. After having a federal judge sign off for it -- since the piece was federal evidence of the attacks -- everything was finalized for us on July 24,” Ullom said.
The piece of steel that Ullom acquired was from the North Tower just above where Flight 11 hit.
On Friday, Sept. 11, the 4,000-pound beam was driven through Westerville to the firehouse for a ceremony.
“When we brought the steel through town, the streets were lined with people dressed in red, white, and blue. So many people were there to see the piece of steel. It was truly amazing. Even kids who weren’t born before 2001 were there waving American flags,” Ullom said.
Hilliard’s memorial park will consist of two pieces of the World Trade Center steel, along with a sculpture and three engraved granite walls to represent the three places attacked. The park is set to be dedicated on Sept. 11, 2010, the ninth anniversary of the attacks.
The brochure concluded, “The city of Hilliard is proud to undertake a project on behalf of all Americans that represents our wonderful and free nation and to take the lead in paying tribute to a highly deserving group of individuals, our first responders.”
This story first was written for Hilliard Bradley’s The Reporter and shared with NBC 4 as part of a media collaboration between schools and the station.
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