I-beam From WTC in Afghanistan

On Memorial Day, an I-beam that once belonged to the structure of the World Trade Center was unveiled at the Regional Command East command building at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. More than 200 multinational troops gathered in front of the command building to witness the occasion as part of a Memorial Day ceremony.

Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal gave the keynote address. He said the beam has great symbolic significance and will “continue to provide structure in the mindset of troops,” reported the U.S. Army.

The beam was donated by residents of Breezy Point, New York, through an organization called Sons and Daughters of America, Breezy Point. Beams were given to residents of Breezy Point, a small neighborhood in Queens, by the city of New York following the Sept. 11 attacks.

The organization donated three beams to the U.S. military. One is in the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia, and another is on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The third beam arrived in Afghanistan in March. This was accomplished in large part by recently redeployed Maj. Stephen J. Ryan, who is from Breezy Point.

The beam will be on loan to successive units in Regional Command East until all American troops withdraw from Afghanistan. The beam will then be sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina.