Mobile exhibition commemorates 9/11 at fair in Ohio

By Craig Kelly
The news from Lima

LIMA, Ohio — This year’s Allen County Fair has all the sights and sounds you’d expect from such an event, from the flashing lights of the rides to the screams of children riding them. However, there’s a new sight at this year’s fair that brings back memories of a sight seared into the nation’s memory nearly 23 years ago.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which was created to preserve the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001, and to help other veterans and first responders, brought its mobile exhibit, “9/11 Never Forget,” to this year’s fair. This not only brought a full-fledged museum experience to the fairgrounds, but also first responders who worked at Ground Zero in New York City that day and afterward.

The foundation was established by the family of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn who lost his life that day. According to exhibit director Bill Puckett, Siller had just finished a night tour and was on his way home when he heard about the attack on the North Tower of the World Trade Center, so he turned around and went back to the station.

“Squad 1 had already been dispatched, so he grabbed his gear, put it in his truck and drove to the towers,” he said. “To get from Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan, you had to go through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it was closed because when the tower was attacked, all the bridges and tunnels were closed. So he got out, put on his gear and ran three and a half miles to meet his squad at the South Tower, and they all died there.”

Siller was an orphan raised by his brothers and sisters. His sacrifice prompted his family to initially create the foundation to help other orphans. But it soon evolved into helping injured veterans and first responders, addressing housing needs by paying off mortgages and even building smart homes for the disabled, among other things. The foundation also created an age-appropriate 9/11 curriculum for students in grades 1-12, which is now used in all 50 states.

The mobile exhibit is a multimedia memorial to the events of September 11th and includes numerous items related to the attack, such as damaged World Trade Center beams, uniforms and firefighter equipment, a damaged ladder from an aerial ladder truck, recorded communications from that day, and more. For retired New York City Fire Department Captain Vincent Doherty, the opportunity to share his experiences with various groups through this exhibit is more than just a public service. It’s therapy.

“I lost 19 men from my fire station,” said the former hazardous materials trainer. “Steven Siller was one of my students.”

Doherty was scheduled to fly to Virginia for a meeting on behalf of the department when the attack occurred. When all flights were canceled, he immediately returned to his station to help with the relief effort.

“My boss, Jack Fanning, is on the board (of fallen first responders),” he said. “He was there because I wasn’t there. He was the one who sent me out. He was the one who said, ‘Vinny, take care of yourself. Go to that meeting. Do everything right with the fire department.’ So I did. I usually come in at six in the morning and work until four. He comes in around 10. He had two autistic children at home. Because I wasn’t there, he came, which immediately put him in the right frame of mind to help, and yes, he did.”

The exhibition is located opposite the Merchants Building and is open daily from 1pm to 9pm throughout the fair. Entry is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information on the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, visit https://t2t.org.

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