Family, friends and strangers leave messages on a girder for the Freedom Tower
By Reid J. Epstein
Newsday
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
NEW YORK - It was important, Diane Fairben said yesterday, to inscribe her son Keith’s name on the Freedom Tower support beam because it makes him an eternal part of the reconstruction.
 The first steel beam for ground zero’s Freedom Tower goes on display in lower Manhattan, with special exhibit times set aside for first responders and family members of the 9/11 victims. Full Video |
“We kind of shy away from these public things,” Fairben said, as she stood with her husband, Ken Fairben. “We wanted to do this because it will be a permanent thing. It’s history and it needs to be remembered.”
The Fairbens were among hundreds of people who stepped onto a temporary platform in a Battery Park City park yesterday to sign the 15-foot-long white steel beam. They came from nearby apartment buildings and from places as far away as Ireland and Yazoo City, Miss. Armed with Sharpies, they left notes for lost loved ones or for themselves, just to denote they were there.
As Ken Fairben wrote Keith’s shield number from his job as a New York-Presbyterian Hospital paramedic (#8001), and his badge number as a Floral Park volunteer firefighter (#317) on the beam, Diane Fairben, 55, spoke of how the death of her only child prompted her to follow in his footsteps. A retired New York City schoolteacher, she said she now serves as a volunteer EMT for the Floral Park Fire Department.
“My son inspired me,” Fairben said. “He would do it here all day and then come home and do it for the community.”
Daniel Libeskind, the Freedom Tower’s architect, said he did not believe the signed beam would be visible once it becomes part of the new building.
Nonetheless, he said, “These names will forever be supporting the tower. Whether it’s visible or not is a secondary question.”
Libeskind said the beam would be put in place on Tuesday. He said he did not know exactly where in the building the beam would go.
Gov. George Pataki, who was making one of his last official visits to Ground Zero before leaving office, said the beam and the tower represent the city’s refusal to cower in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
“It’s a symbol that we are recreating New York’s skyline and soaring to new heights,” he said.
While some pasted photographs of lost loved ones to the beam, Jane Pollicino of Plainview took up one end to pour out her emotions. She wrote a lengthy tribute to her husband, Steve Pollicino, who was working on the North Tower’s 104th floor as a corporate bond broker at Cantor Fitzgerald.
“I think they didn’t put a big enough beam here,” said Pollicino, 53.
But not everyone who signed the beam had a personal connection to Sept.11. It was open to family members but everyone was welcome to participate. People like Stephanie Campbell and her family from Olympia, Wash., said they came to leave their names on a part of New York’s future.
Campbell, who was visiting New York with her two children and her fiance, David Sorrell, said they wanted to “memorialize that we were here.”
Campbell’s daughter, Ellie, 12, wrote, “In loving memory of all who died in the crash at the Twin Towers.” Her son Adam, 10, announced his future plans: “In four years, I’ll be back to see the Freedom Tower.”
Expressions of love, grief and remembrance on beam
Jane Pollicino, 53, Plainview. Homemaker.
“It’s like therapy here. It’s journaling, which is what I was told I should be doing. It’s about managing and getting through and seeing what will give you strength.”
What she wrote: “North Tower 104 - Cantor Fitz- gerald Steve Pollicino. Amazing in life more painful in death. The circumstances of your death have allowed me to know you in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I thank you for having been a part of your life and I thank God for our children.”
Billy Nelson, Bronx
“I had nobody personally who was involved, but it was an attack on all of us. I came to put my name on something tangible for the future.”
What he wrote: “God bless America as America blesses America. Thank God for liberty and freedom.”
Merlin Bobb, Battery Park City
“I lived in Battery Park for 18 years. My kids were born here; it’s home to us. Fortunately, or unfortunately, when this took place we had just moved to Westchester. A year-and-a-half later, we came back to Battery Park. We had to move back.”
Robert Galvan, Arlington, Texas
“We’re here on vacation. We came down here to pay our respects. It’s a sad thing. You see everything on TV and everything that’s going on, it’s just sad.”
What he wrote: “God bless America. In memory of all the people that died.”
Keith O’Mara, Ridgewood, Queens. [New York City Fire Marshal. Also spent 21 years at Ladder Co. 11, Manhattan].
“We lost six guys on Sept. 11. I wanted to put something on the beam to remember them. And my friend Ronnie Bucca, I wrote a message from his brother.”
What he wrote: “We all miss you Ronnie Bucca. Joe, Astrid, Al, Bobby, Ronnie Jr., Jessica and Brian.”
Stephanie Campbell, Olympia, Wash. [With daughter Ellie Campbell, 12, son Adam Campbell, 10]
“We are on vacation and we heard about the signing on the news this morning and we wanted to memorialize that we are here.”
Adam wrote: “4 years I’ll be back to see the Freedom Tower.”
Ellie wrote: “In loving memory of all who died in the crash of the Twin Towers.”
Mark Tel-many,Staten Island
“We were going to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and we figured we would come here first. It’s just a nice thing to do, to pay respect for all the people.”
His daughter, Miranda, 12, wrote: “In loving memory of the fallen. FF Carl Molinari.”
Diane Fairben, 55, Floral Park. Retired New York City school teacher, volunteer EMT in Floral Park.
“We don’t come down here very often. We don’t come to Ground Zero for the anniversaries. We kind of shy away from these public things. We wanted to do this because it will be a permanent thing. It’s history and it needs to be remembered.”
What they wrote: “Lt Keith G. Fairben/NYPH para-medic #8001 / Always in our hearts / Love, Mom, Dad, Will, Sal / NYPH, FPFD #317"
Ron Parker, 51, Englishtown, N.J. Retired New York City firefighter.
“This is a beautiful, powerful, emotional symbol to all that were lost here. I came here just to pray for everyone and remember all the great times I had with all these great people.”
What he wrote: “For my brother firefighters you will never be forgotten. All my prayers. FF Ron Parker.”
Gov. George Pataki
“This is a symbol that we are reclaiming New York’s skyline and soaring to new heights.”
What he wrote: “God bless our heroes of Sept. 11 and the United States of America. We will never forget.”