Twenty commemorative stones, several plants, a fountain and an American flag are currently part of Lynbrook's 9/11 memorial, honoring the 19 village residents and one police dog who were killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
But the village will soon make a new addition to the site — two 20-foot steel beams, from the wreckage of the Twin Towers themselves.
"It's going to be arranged in the fashion of the two towers," said village Deputy Mayor Alan Beach, who applied for the pieces of steel late last year.
Beach is well known in Lynbrook for his dedication to war veterans and in helping to honor the victims of 9/11. A former New York City firefighter himself, the deputy mayor says bringing home two steel beams from the Twin Towers wreckage is emotional for him. "I'm a big part of that," he said. "I lost a lot of friends."
And Lynbrook officials will have quite the escort when they pick up the two beams from John F. Kennedy Airport on Thursday. They'll be joined by the New York Motorcycle Riders, the Patriot Guard, and the Port Authority police for the journey home, traveling under elevated American flags flown by several Nassau County fire departments.
The two beams, weighing a combined 26,000 pounds, will first travel to Oceanside Iron and Steel Supply for some modifications so they can be erected properly at the Lynbrook 9/11 memorial. The company is owned by Lynbrook resident Nick Vuotto, who is using one of his cranes and trucks to transport the beams.
Danny Muller, a Lynbrook boy scout who lost his godfather on 9/11, will be helping with new planting and site planning at the memorial as part of his Eagle project.
Beach said the beams may be erected sometime next month.
Be sure to visit Lynbrook Patch at the end of the week for full coverage of the beams' journey to the village.
