Firefighters and public officials on the Derby Green Thursday unveiled a battered I‑beam from the World Trade Center that will be the centerpiece of a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
“This is a symbol we will not forget,” said Mayor Anita Dugatto before breaking ground on the Green with former Derby Fire Department Chief William Nicoletti.
Several years back Nicoletti began working on getting a Sept. 11 memorial to honor all the lives lost that tragic day — and the lives of military personnel killed in the subsequent war on terror.
The Port Authority authorized Derby to use a small steel beam from the World Trade Center in 2011.
The Derby Aldermen approved the memorial in April.
The memorial will be surrounded by a brick walkway. Firefighters have been selling custom-engraved bricks to offset costs associated with the memorial.
Click here to purchase a brick.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by about 40 firefighters, local officials and members of the public.
Firefighters had originally planned to have the memorial installed by Thursday, but the design of the monument itself had only been finalized this week.
Nicoletti said an official unveiling of the monument is scheduled for Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Click play on the video below to watch Thursday’s ceremony.
