Barre to Dedicate 9/11 Memorial Featuring Artifacts from the Pentagon and Twin Towers on Memorial Day

Bill O’Donnell and Dennis Fleming join Talk of the Commonwealth to share the story behind Barre’s new 9/11 memorial and the powerful meaning it holds.

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

(Photo-iStock)

Barre, Mass.- Hank talks about the creation of a 9/11 memorial in the town of Barre Massachusetts with Bill O’Donnell, who was at the Pentagon on 9/11, and Dennis Fleming, a local resident who spearheaded the effort to build the memorial. They discuss their personal connections to 9/11, the design and construction process, and the upcoming dedication ceremony on Memorial Day on the North Common in Barre. This project has been a long time coming as Fleming was inspired to create it because of his own experience on the scene of the Worcester Warehouse fire followed by the attack upon America. The memorial design features granite pillars representing the Twin Towers, with a piece of limestone from the Pentagon facade and other artifacts incorporated. O’Donnell was able to use his connections to people he knows who are still working at the Pentagon to secure the pieces. Fleming says building a memorial is an important way to honor the memory of those who lost their lives and educate future generations. He also says when you see it you know exactly what the memorial is for, “You don’t need to have somebody standing there telling you what it is. You can figure it out just by looking at it.” The memorial will be dedicated at noon on Memorial Day, with a ceremony including an invocation, remarks from Bill and Dennis, and the raising of a flag that was flown over the Pentagon and Ground Zero.

This article was sourced from a transcript of a recent interview conducted by Hank Stolz on the Radio Worcester program Talk of the Commonwealth.