In 2011 the Port Authority informed Gallagher he was authorized to visit the wreckage hanger at JFK which held his allocated material. What was contained within the hanger-warehouse was overwhelming. There were structural steel beams, like the 2800 pound girder he was transporting back to Acushnet, but there were also gothic-styled window tridents, destroyed police cars and other burnt structural remains. Gallagher was also given a blackened lime stone from the Pentagon and a stone from the wreckage field at Shanksville, PA. He returned home emotionally drained from the trip and sought help on Facebook.
Click either image for a larger view of the Acushnet 9/11 Memorial.
Adam Katz, a volunteer Acushnet firefighter along with his brother Jeremiah, answered Gallagher's plea to help build a memorial with the sacred relics. Gallagher was also soon contacted by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Professor Eric Lintala. The three UMASS alums and the professor met shortly thereafter to work on design plans. The beam had a special effect on anyone who touched it. Adam recalled that, "the beam is alive. That's the only way to describe it. You touch it, and you feel shaky and weak. You feel sadness and anger, every emotion all at once." The men found it both a pleasure to design, install and complete the work. Everyone involved felt it was a very special project they were honored to have been a part of.
The 6 foot tall beam is set atop a stone pentagon plinth and angled sharply backs towards Ground Zero and sits in the center of a large circular brick foundation. Dispersed throughout the pavement are donation bricks reserved for engraving. The memorial also contains an etched glass dedication monolith displaying numerical loss of life categorized by state and air flight number on that fateful date in 2001. The estimated cost of the project was planned at $100,000 but only cost around $5000 due to the giving spirit of those involved. The citizens of Acushnet raised $21,000 from local fundraising and zero public monies were used on the project.
PROJECT DETAILS:
Adjustable Well Stars AW-LED-e23 (5)
Mini Micro UM-LED-e11 (4)
Artists: Adam Katz, Jeremiah Katz, Eric Lintala
Project Coordinator: Kevin Gallagher
Lighting Designer: David Pires
Rep Agent: John Cuoco, omnilite
Photo Credits: Frank C. Grace, Trig Photography; Adam Katz