San Francisco Celebrates 9/11 25th Anniversary with World Trade Center Steel Beam
A 16,000‑pound steel beam from the World Trade Center rolled into San Francisco on Friday, bringing a tangible piece of history to Pier 27. The heavy relic is part of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Steel Across America tour, a national pilgrimage that marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The beam’s journey began in Santa Rosa, crossed Marin County, spanned the Golden Gate Bridge, and arrived in the city for a solemn ceremony honoring the victims.
The San Francisco stop is the 23rd of 35 planned by the foundation, which was established in 2001 to support veterans, first responders, and their families. Its mission includes providing mortgage assistance, building homes for people with severe injuries, preventing homelessness, and keeping the stories of 9/11 alive. The steel beam tour is one of the foundation’s most visible ways to bring remembrance to communities across the country.
During the event, Stephen Siller Jr., the In the Line of Duty Program Manager, spoke about his father, FDNY firefighter Stephen Gerard Siller, who died on 9/11 while rescuing others. Siller Jr. recalled that his father had driven to the Brooklyn‑Battery Tunnel, then ran on foot to the Twin Towers because the tunnel was closed. The foundation’s name comes from that run. He described the ceremony as an emotional roller coaster but expressed gratitude for the support he received from people across the country.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie attended the ceremony and was moved by memories of the day. Lurie recalled being in New York on the morning of September 11 and the loss of life he witnessed. He noted that United Airlines Flight 93, a San Francisco‑bound flight, was brought down in Pennsylvania after passengers fought the hijackers, preventing a potential attack in Washington, D.C.
First‑responder representatives also spoke. San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen, who had been one of 13 city firefighters who traveled to New York after flights resumed, said the experience reinforced the importance of evacuation and rescue training. Retired New York Fire Department Battalion Chief John Carroll said the nationwide support for first responders showed that America still cares.
The beam was transported on a modified truck with gull‑wing doors. After arriving at Pier 27, a ceremony was held to honor the 2,977 victims of the attacks. The foundation plans to continue the tour, with the next stop in Seattle. The Steel Across America tour will cover 10,500 miles across 35 cities, bringing a tangible piece of the World Trade Center to communities nationwide.
Beyond commemoration, the foundation’s work has expanded since 2021 to include paying about 30 mortgages for families of first responders and operating the Let Us Do Good Village, a 100‑home community for veterans and first‑responder families in Florida. The 25th‑anniversary tour is part of the foundation’s broader effort to keep the memory of September 11 alive while supporting those who served.
The San Francisco ceremony underscored the state’s ongoing connection to the events of 9/11 and the continued importance of honoring those who lost their lives and those who risked theirs to save others. The beam’s arrival and the speeches by community leaders highlighted the shared memory and the foundation’s mission to do good.
