Ceremony dedicating I-beam to mark 10th anniversary of 9/11

It wasn't until Jim Shirk placed his hand on the I-beam from the World Trade Center rubble that the full gravity of what occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, hit him.

Shirk, who has worked for more than a year to obtain a piece of history that could forever stand as a memorial in Nevada's capital city to those who died that day, was overcome with emotion as the 10th anniversary approached.

"I'd never actually touched the beam, but I was out there yesterday, walking around the memorial while they were installing it, and I put my hand on it," Shirk said. "I looked at my hand, and I looked at the beam, and I actually started to cry."

"When I touched it, I felt connected to that day for the first time."

A dedication ceremony and official unveiling for the World Trade Center Memorial will begin at noon Sunday behind the Pony Express Pavilion in Mills Park.

Shirk, a member of the Carson City Cultural Commission, first learned about the possibility of obtaining a piece of steel from the 9/11 rubble from a New York Times article about a Scout project, and he had pursued its acquisition and installation ever since.

"For days and days, we all watched the replay of that day, then it kind of faded as years went by, but then I read that article, and I was just so inspired that this is what I needed to do, and I've had so much support," Shirk said.

"People would tell me this was a great idea, and everyone was asking, 'How can I help?' I used to keep a log of all my calls, but it was almost endless, the number of contacts," he said.

"I remember thinking that if this is so meaningful to so many people, then it must be the right thing to do. They all want to help."

One of those people was Danny Costella of Washoe Valley, business agent for Iron Workers Local 118.

Costella, who is from New York, said he lost friends in the towers, so when he heard what Shirk was up to, he wanted to get involved.

"Ironworkers have a reverent feeling about this because they were involved in construction of the towers, the recovery effort and now, in building the Freedom Towers," Costella said.

Local 118 provided the ironwork for the Carson City memorial, which was installed this week.

"When they put that I-beam up there, I thought it was striking the way it sits there, and I thought every capital in the United States should have one of these," Costella said.

"People should never forget those who died and the heroism of the responders. That's where the tribute lies. We've come back big, and that memorial is a good reminder of what we're all about. We help each other. You can sit there and look at it and reflect on what Americans do for each other," he said.

Getting the relic to where it sits today wasn't easy. After months of phone calls and waiting for word from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Shirk learned that his request - along with letters of support from Mayor Bob Crowell, Supervisor Shelly Aldean, Sheriff Ken Furlong and Fire Chief Stacey Giomi - had been granted.

And in June, the twisted 1,600-pound I-beam finally arrived in Carson City on a flatbed 18-wheeler.

Shirk said then that he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to have the memorial ready by Sept. 11, but through perseverance and cooperation from dozens of individuals, businesses and organizations, the task was accomplished.

"For me and my life, what a journey this has been," he said. "So many stories intertwine, so many people who knew the victims - a man who lost his wife, a couple who lost their daughter."

Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf, who was instrumental in getting the memorial erected in time for the 10-year anniversary, said it is something Carson City can be proud of.

"Its' especially poignant right now because of the tragedy we had this week," he said, referring to Tuesday's IHOP shootings. "The memorial drives home the feeling of community and remembering the loss of lives. Maybe this can help a little bit with the healing.

"But that aside, it's important for Carson City to have a relic from the World Trade Center because we're the capital city. This puts us on the map for positive reasons," he said.

The first phase of Sunday's events in Mills Park will kick off at 10:30 a.m. in the Pony Express Pavilion with a ceremony, "Patriot Day - A 9/11 Remembrance," sponsored by Capital Baptist Church.

The 1-1/2-hour event is free and open to the public. It will feature several musical presentations, a color guard, remarks from officials and a keynote speaker, Col. Mark Harris, M.D., who will travel from Washington, D.C., for the occasion. Harris is a senior physician liaison between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Army surgeon general.

The dedication ceremony outside the pavilion afterward will include remarks from Gov. Brian Sandoval, Crowell, Furlong, Giomi and Shirk.

Shirk said he hopes the community will take advantage of both special opportunities.

"So many people went to work one day in 2001 and never came home. And so many others lost their lives trying to save others. I think it's our duty as individuals to stand up and say, 'We honor you,'" Shirk said.

"And with the sad day we had in Carson City this week," he added, "we can show the world and the state that we are one united community."