State Police to receive steel from World Trade Center

Virginia State PoliceCeremony to Take Place during Police Week in May

RICHMOND – On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Virginia State Police (VSP) will receive a piece of steel recovered from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center (New York City), a historic artifact being presented by the Freedom Flag Foundation. The steel will become a permanent fixture at the Virginia State Police Academy. The donation takes place during National Police Week—when the nation honors fallen officers and recognizes those who continue to serve—and coincides with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The 9/11 attacks resulted in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives – including over 70 responding law enforcement officers – in New York City, at the Pentagon (Arlington Co., Va.), and near Shanksville, Pa.

 

The Freedom Flag is Virginia’s Official Flag of Remembrance for 9/11 (VAC §1-510) and has also been adopted by Oklahoma and Delaware. The donation ceremony at VSP is part of the Freedom Flag Foundation’s National Freedom Flag and World Trade Center Steel Education program, which seeks to establish partnerships in all 50 states to educate the next generation about 9/11 using the powerful, symbolic elements of the Freedom Flag and of steel artifacts from the 92-95th floors of World Trade Center Tower 1.  Freedom Flag designer Richard Melito’s brother, First Sergeant James Melito, also served with the Virginia State Police.

 

In 2011, the Freedom Flag Foundation obtained ownership of a significant steel artifact from Tower 1 of the World Trade Center (WTC) weighing 2,908 lbs. and measuring over 21’ long. This section of WTC Steel formed a portion of exterior column 206, which supported floors 92-95 on the east face of WTC Tower 1 (north tower). Tower 1 was the first tower struck on 9/11 when terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the north face of the building at 8:46 AM. The collision created a major impact hole between floors 92 and 98 of the tower’s north face, and the resulting explosion tore a large hole in the east face. The Freedom Flag Foundation’s section of WTC Steel was at the edge of the explosion of the east face and likely sustained some damage from either the explosion or ensuing fire.  The portion being given to Virginia State Police comes from this beam.