9/11 World Trade Center Artifact Comes to BWI Airport

HANOVER, MD — A twisted and scorched piece of aluminum from the facade of Tower One of the World Trade Center has found a permanent home at Baltimore Washington International Airport, the first airport to institute federal security measures.

Transportation Security Administration officials on Wednesday unveiled the metal piece that was salvaged from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. The artifact is 58 inches tall and 22 inches deep, weighs about 10 pounds, and sits vertically on a pentagon-shaped base hand-crafted by members of the TSA workforce at BWI Airport.

“This sacred piece of aluminum stands before us as witness to the horror of September 11, 2001, a day that changed our lives forever,” said TSA’s Maryland Federal Security Director Andrea R. Mishoe. “It reminds us of why we are here, why we dedicate ourselves to the mission to protect travelers. Why what we do is so very important, even now, 15 years after the terrorists attacked our homeland.”

A memorial plaque rests atop the display as a reminder of the TSA's mission. The plaque says that “September 11, 2001, was a day of unprecedented shock and suffering in the history of the United States. This artifact is dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in that tragedy. In honor of their memory we will continue to accomplish our mission. ‘With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our Homeland, and our values.’ ”

Pieces of the World Trade Center have been donated to communities across the United States.
According to The Guardian, steel from the World Trade Center has been used as public tributes to all 50 states as well as six countries. Anne Arundel County has constructed a $120,000 monument in Millersville using two huge beams from the World Trade Center to frame planes as they land at BWI Airport.

In Baltimore, three twisted steel beams were set on a stone base with the names of the 68 people from Maryland who died in the attacks, a tribute known as the 9/11 Memorial of Maryland, reported the Washington Post.

BWI Airport was the first federalized airport and is known as the birthplace of TSA.

TSA PHOTO: The historic artifact from the World Trade Center terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, was unveiled by TSA officials at BWI Airport. It is on display inside the Terminal C checkpoint.