PORT ANGELES — Dozens of Clallam County first responders and community volunteers are receiving their own piece of 9/11.
Alan Barnard, president of the one-man Clallam County Public Safety Tribute Committee, is distributing handmade shadowboxes that contain a weld stud from an I-beam recovered from Ground Zero.
Each box is being presented with a handshake to local, state and federal public safety officials and to those who helped build the 9/11 monument at Francis Street Park in Port Angeles.
Barnard said he wants to thank public safety workers and spread the significance of the newly dedicated monument for the waterfront park.
The centerpiece of the monument is the I-beam itself, which was dedicated on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Weld studs removed
For safety reasons, the city of Port Angeles required that the weld studs be removed before the beam could be raised.
“As soon as we took those off, we talked about what to do with them,” Barnard said in a county commissioners meeting Oct. 25.
“We thought it would be important to magnify the effect of that beam.”
Coast Guardsmen Andrew Moravec and Sam Allen started a two-year effort to bring the I-beam from Ground Zero to Port Angeles.
Barnard organized the building of the monument and handled fundraising for it.
Moravec helped Barnard design and build the shadowboxes, which are used to “disperse the meaning and the essence and the symbolism of this beam throughout our community,” Barnard said.
Each of the shadowboxes is engraved with the name of the person or agency who received one.
Personal touch
“We didn’t order these from the trophy company,” Barnard said.
“We designed it and bought the components and put it together.
“It was a very personal commitment from Sam and Andrew and myself to say thank you to our public safety people.”
Moravec joined Barnard in presenting most of the 20 shadowboxes that have been distributed so far. Allen is now stationed in Puerto Rico.
Presented boxes
On Tuesday, Barnard presented 9/11 boxes to Port Angeles Police Chief Terry Gallagher, Fire Chief Dan McKeen, Parks Superintendent Corey Delikat, Fire Auxiliary President Tami Ziegler and PENCOM 9-1-1.
About three-fourths of the weld studs have been awarded.
Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict, the chiefs of the six county fire districts and the chiefs of the Peninsula’s tribal law enforcement agencies have each received one.
Also receiving 9/11 shadowboxes were the people who donated their time and expertise to build the monument.
They include Bob Stokes of Studio Bob, Gray Lucier of Lucier Studio, engineer Steve Zenovic, Alex Anderson of Alex Anderson Concrete, Jay Ketchum of Affordable Crane, Laurel Black of Laurel Black Design, the Port Angeles Rotary Club, Nor’wester Rotary and the city of Port Angeles.
Each memento contains an inscription at the bottom explaining where the weld stud came from. It notes the 2,752 who perished at Ground Zero.
“Never forget Sept. 11, 2001,” it reads.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
