Monumental decisions: memorials under way to honor victims of Sept. 11: from flowers at fence lines to towering beams of light, Americans remember those who died in the terrorist attacks until permanent memorials are built

VFW Magazine, May, 2002 by Shannon Hanson

Other Memorials

Though the three national Sept. 11 memorials are the most visible, other means of commemorating the victims have emerged.

* Thousands of Internet memorial Web sites are available that include photos, artwork, poetry and discussion.

* The group An American Quilt is collecting tribute panels, which will be sewn into a giant spread and displayed on July 4 and the first anniversary of the attacks.

* The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a commemorative stamp, featuring the famous photo of three firefighters raising a flag at ground zero.

* The Defense Department created the Defense of Freedom Medal, the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart, to be given to civilians killed or injured in the attack on the Pentagon.

* The names of the 60 police officers killed will be inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., on May 13. (See page 12.) The 23 members of the NYPD also are remembered by a special display in the New York City Police Museum.

* Some kind of memorial will be built honoring the 343 firefighters who died at ground zero. The original plan of a bronze re-creation of the photo of firefighters raising the flag was scrapped when the sponsoring company wanted to change the races of two of the men.

In an effort to "honor everyone," the trio was to be changed to one white, one black and one Hispanic. Outcry from firefighters and the public changed corporate minds, and at presstime, no new plans were made public.

However, a memorial--a 6-foot-high bronze statue of a firefighter--donated by Missouri firefighters is displayed on Rodgers & Hamerstein Row in front of the Milford Plaza Hotel.