By Mike FinneyDOVER — Artifacts from each of the terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11 stand in unity near the Air Mobility Command Museum, welcoming those visitors who might wish to reflect on the tragic events of that unforgettable day.
It was Delaware’s first 9/11 memorial, unveiled by the Eagle Firefighters Association at Dover Air Force Base in 2013.
The pentagon-shaped memorial incorporates two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center’s north tower in New York City that make an arrow shape pointing toward New York, a rock from the United Airlines Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and a block from the damaged portion of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
The opening of the collection nearly a decade ago made Delaware the 50th and final state to have a public memorial.
Smyrna’s Aaron Weisenberger, who was president of the Eagle Firefighters Association when the 9/11 memorial was unveiled, said the cornerstone from the Pentagon was an unexpected, last-minute addition.
“We only had a piece of memorabilia from the Shanksville site, we had the World Trade Center steel, so we were only going to represent the Pentagon in the shape of the memorial,” Mr. Weisenberger said.
“An individual from the Pentagon brought over a stone. We didn’t even request it. Having a piece from all three sites pays proper respect to all those people that passed away at those specific sites.”
The memorial was originally scheduled to be built at the base firehouse, but was finally constructed on the grounds of the AMC Museum.
Col. Randall Huiss, who was the vice commander of the 436th Airlift Wing in 2012, said the new location at the museum turned out to be perfect for everyone involved.
“Having this memorial means (airmen at Dover AFB) and the local community will be able to pay their respects,” Col. Huiss said at the monument’s unveiling. “With a significant event, such as Sept. 11, having the memorial here next to the AMC Museum is important because it allows more people to pay those respects without the problems of gaining access to the base.”
The Eagle Firefighters Association is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the welfare of Dover Air Force Base’s firefighters.
It donated more than $37,000 needed to create the memorial.
“Air Mobility Command already has a lot of monuments and history out here, it just seemed like the ideal place,” said Mr. Weisenberger. “The public can come out here, see the history of the military and also now have a part of September 11th here.”
Admission to the Air Mobility Command Museum is free and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Other 9/11 tributes in Delaware
Another more intimate and personal 9/11 memorial is at the home of Roger and Carol Whitford off Minos Conaway Road in Lewes.
Their son, Mark Whitford, a New York City fireman, perished Sept. 11, 2001, along with hundreds of other first responders who died inside the World Trade Center’s two towers after both buildings were struck by airliners that had been hijacked by terrorists.
There is a photograph of Engine 23, their son’s fire truck, surrounded by concrete and steel debris. Mark drove the fire truck to the site and entered the South Tower before it collapsed.
A portion of the facade of that tower, plus a piece of partially melted steel cut into a cross, are displayed in a memorial in the Whitfords’ front yard.
“We don’t want to forget, not only for the firefighters but the 3,000 people that we lost that day,” Mr. Whitford said. “It’s a memory that we want to keep going for them, and of course, it’s a memory for our son.”
Meanwhile, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency has a small 9/11 memorial inside its headquarters at 165 Brick Store Landing Road in Smyrna. It features a piece of steel from the Twin Towers with photos remembering that tragic day.
However, due to the nature of DEMA’s business and with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, visitors do not get the chance to see the memorial.
“We have a small piece of steel in the main lobby from the Trade Center,” Mr. Sands said. “It’s just kind of a small display. Right now, unfortunately, there’s no visitors. It’s basically a piece of steel and a couple of pictures with it that make up a little memorial.”
