The statue of the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial sits Sept. 5 in Grapevine, Texas. The memorial is dedicated to the 33 flight crew members who died on 9/11.
Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, memorials and remnants of the World Trade Center can be found across Dallas-Fort Worth.
These monuments allow DFW residents and visitors to reflect on and process the attacks while learning about their human impact and history.
In Dallas, visitors can see the history of the day on the campus of Southern Methodist University.
The George W. Bush Presidential Center features a permanent 9/11 exhibit and a temporary display of former President George W. Bush’s 9/11 paintings through Sept. 30.
“President Bush is a painter, and his collection is called ‘Reflecting on 9/11,’ and it includes 16 new works of art that show different scenes surrounding the anniversary and his reflections,” said Hannah Fallon, Bush center manager of communications and marketing.
The permanent exhibit holds a twisted, 22-foot steel beam from the World Trade Center next to a wall engraved with the names of victims of the attack. It also features the bullhorn Bush used to address first responders at ground zero and news footage from the day of the attacks, Fallon said.
Seeing the steel beam from the World Trade Center was especially moving for her, she said. She was young when the attack happened, and it is one of her earliest memories.
“You’re even allowed to put your hand on it, touch it, so you get to really be close to it, and it’s very moving,” Fallon said.
The exhibit also displays global maps of terrorist attacks and a port authority badge that Bush carried every day, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library website.
“I hope that people come and continue to learn about it, learn about the events that happened on Sept. 11 and after,” Fallon said.
A limestone fragment stands near the 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial on Sept. 5 in Grapevine, Texas. The fragment was preserved from the Pentagon impact site.
A Grapevine, Texas, memorial, near the DFW International Airport, offers a different perspective, as it focuses on the flight crew members and first responders who died in the attacks.
The 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial includes a central bronze statue that honors the 33 flight crew members and the more than 200 passengers who lost their lives on the four hijacked flights.
The statue depicts an airline captain, two eagles in flight symbolizing American Airlines and United Airlines, two crew members and a child figure that represents the families flight crews serve, according to the Grapevine city website.
The Law Enforcement Officers Never Forget Memorial sits on Sept. 5 in Grapevine, Texas. The memorial is to honor the 71 New York Police Deputy and Port Authority Police and one rescue dog who died on 9/11.
In the same area, two memorials honor the police officers and firefighters who died from the attacks and from illnesses linked to toxic dust and debris. The 343 Never Forget Firefighter’s Memorial was dedicated in 2013, and the Police Officer’s Memorial was dedicated in 2015.
The Watauga Fire Department holds its own piece of steel from the World Trade Center, which was determined to be from one of the twin towers, right outside its Central Fire Station. The memorial was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
After Watauga was selected to receive a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, firefighters traveled to New York to retrieve it. The architect who designed the fire station worked with contractors to build a display for the steel.
“It’s a way for us to pay tribute to and honor those who lost their lives on that day,” said Randy Barkley, Watauga assistant city manager and fire chief.
The memorial serves as a physical reminder to never forget the attacks despite the distractions daily life may provide, Barkley said.
“I think each day we lose sight of it, the fact that it’s just there, because it becomes something we pass,” he said. “I think that again goes back to the purpose of it to begin with.”
The original dedication ceremony in 2011 included words from then city leaders, bagpipes, a candlelight vigil and flag ceremonies. The event saw significant community engagement, with nearly 1,000 attendees. However, Barkley said it was not about the numbers.
“We have been blessed to have been given the opportunity to have this piece of steel here in the city of Watauga, and I feel like it’s an obligation of us to present something each year to give others the opportunity to stop, pay respect and remember,” he said.
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