TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – In the wake of unprecedented tragedy, every American processed their grief in different ways.
The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks left the nation stunned, with millions suddenly searching for ways to find peace and understanding.
For Tallahassee resident Bill Brinson, he found peace by repurposing a whimsical front yard project into a marine mammal memorial with purpose.
“This is Glory. I named her to glorify those that we’ve lost,” he said as he gave WCTV a tour of his former property at the corner of Centerville Road and Olson Road.
Brinson said he was already working to turn his front yard fountain into a whale diving in the water before September 11th.
But after the attacks, a friend convinced him to dedicate his whale to world peace.
“Whales are known for recording moments,” he recalls the friend saying.
Glory, as he named the first whale, was finished in time for the first anniversary of 9/11.
Then, friends suggested he keep going.
By 2003, a second whale, Hope, emerged breeching from the grassy water line.
Brinson is an electrician. He worked on the wiring molds and plumbing for each Whale. Friends and family helped paint and plaster the creatures.
“It’s not a me, it’s a we that helped in all this,” he said.
By 2007, a third whale, Faith, was twisting backwards between the waves.
And finally, Grace, just a whale tail, was added near the property’s edge and Centerville Road.
The ‘whale man’ reflects on his unusual marine mammal memorial honoring the lives lost on 9/11(Jacob Murphey/WCTV)
Together, the quartet became a safe space for people to process their grief.
Brinson recalls an elderly couple arriving to front porch one day, asking to take a moment to reflect by the whale’s side.
He recalls the gentleman “bursting out crying and asking forgiveness.”
“And I said, no, sir, this is what it’s for. To let go.”
Every September, dozens would gather at his home to pay tribute.
At the ten year service in 2011, Brinson said as many as 70 people showed up.
But soon after, the numbers dwindled. Soon, just Brinson and his family were left.
He sold his home a few years ago. These days, the fountains are off and no services are held on site.
But still, Brinson hopes the whales’ message of peace continues on.
“Remember the love that we, it brought at that time. This nation was very loving…we need to get back to that.”
The current owner of the property let Brinson and WCTV view the whales this week up close.
Today, they’re best viewed driving by or from the sidewalk. The whales are an unofficial tribute to the lives lost during the attacks.
The World Trade Center beam installed outside the American Red Cross location off Easterwood Drive serves as the city’s official 9/11 memorial.
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