On September 11, a 26-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam pulled from the debris pile of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, will return home to ground zero in New York City after traveling more than 10,500 miles and touching the hearts of thousands along the way.

In the aftermath of the attacks, thousands of first responders worked tirelessly amid the rubble of the Twin Towers to recover human remains and victims’ personal items. Workers also preserved a steel beam from the South Tower as a lasting reminder of 2,977 lives lost that day. This year, to commemorate the 25th remembrance of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T) has taken the beam on its Steel Across America tour.

The journey kicked off on May 2, just a few feet away from the original site of the WTC.

“Steel Across America is our promise to bring this sacred piece of history to every corner of this country — honoring the civilians, first responders and service members who gave their lives on 9/11 and in the years that followed. No one, regardless of their age or where they live, should ever forget what happened here or the bravery that was shown by so many heroes,” T2T Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said at the ceremony. His brother, Stephen Siller, was a member of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) who lost his life on 9/11.

After the ceremony, the beam passed by 343 volunteer firefighters holding banners with the names of the 343 FDNY personnel lost in the attacks before setting off on a road trip encompassing more than 35 stops across 21 states.

Steel Across America’s itinerary included locations specifically tied to the events of that fateful day, including the Field of Honor near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers and crew members of Flight 93 thwarted the plane’s hijackers from crashing into the U.S. Capitol. It also stopped at the White House in Washington, D.C., to remember the attack on the Pentagon.

Other stops featured historic locations, such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and multiple museums, among them the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. The beam also visited military-related sites, including USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama; USS Arizona Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale, Arizona; and USS Midway Museum in San Diego. In San Diego, it also appeared at a NASCAR event held at the Naval Base Coronado. Steel Across America also made stops at Busch Stadium in St. Louis and T-Mobile Park in Seattle, as well as the Space Center Houston, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and various other locales on its trek.

From color guards and pipes and drums corps to moments of silence and police escorts, the beam was always welcomed with pomp and reverence.

“We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and care from law enforcement communities across the country: from Florida Highway Patrol escorts between tour stops to helicopter flyovers in California to departments providing safe and secure overnight hosting for the steel,” Siller told APB.

“Local law enforcement is at the heart of every Steel Across America stop because supporting first responders is core to everything the Tunnel to Towers Foundation does,” he added. “Police officers put themselves in harm’s way every single day to protect their communities, and we believe deeply in serving those who serve us. They are the backbone of our society, and this tour would not be what it is without them standing beside us at every stop.”

Indeed, personnel from local law enforcement agencies and fire departments attended ceremonies and took moments to personally reflect on the symbolism.

“[T]his steel is not just a piece of metal — it is a physical connection to my brother, whose body was never recovered. His soul is in that steel, and the same spirit that drove him to run into those towers is the same spirit that drives every officer who puts on a uniform today. Standing in front of that steel is a chance to feel that connection in a way no textbook or documentary ever could, and that is exactly why we brought it to their cities,” Siller said.

“What has moved us most is how many officers told us they joined the force because of what happened on September 11, 2001, and how much it meant to them to finally stand in front of that steel and pay their respects in person,” he added.

With each stop, T2T representatives continued to share its mission of aiding first responders and veterans who have suffered catastrophic injuries, families of fallen heroes and Gold Star families. In addition to presenting a commemorative steel flag to officials and business leaders as a gesture of gratitude for hosting the tour, T2T delivered ceremonial keys representing mortgage-free homes to several veterans. Since 2001, it has provided more than 2,000 mortgage-free homes and secured housing and assistance for more than 20,000 homeless veterans.