A flag hoisted at Ground Zero after the September 11 terror attacks in NY is going on display.
Advertisement
But within hours of its raising, the flag disappeared from the World Trade Center site.
But since the picture of the three New York City firefighters raising it above the World Trade Center rubble on 9/11, the flag disappeared – until now.
The flag will now be unveiled at the 9/11 Museum in Manhattan Thursday, where it will remain on display.
In October of 2014, a man named Brian showed up at an Everett Fire Station with a flag in a plastic bag.
Brian told the firefighters he had been watching a documentary on historical artifacts, and one segment detailed the missing ground zero flag. His analysis of the particles on the flag showed the same characteristics as particle types in the dust after the towers fell. Another flag that was purported to be the one in the photo, but which was somewhat larger than the original, was displayed at various locations following the 9/11 attacks, including Yankee Stadium and an aircraft carrier, and signed by prominent officials.
By July, the findings of the investigation “led us to believe that we had enough information that we could release that flag to someone claiming ownership”, St. Clair said.
“The dust and debris that was on that flag was consistent with dust and debris at Ground Zero”, Everett Fire Chief Dan Templeman said. But, how the flag ended up almost 3,000 miles from home is still a mystery.
“I feel very strongly that’s the halyard in the photograph”, Massingale told HeraldNet, saying the same about the flag. How the flag ended up across the country is a piece of the puzzle that remains unsolved.
Dreifus said she was saddened that her husband, who died almost two years ago, could not share in the news.
“I’m glad that the flag is going to be at the 9/11 museum; that’s where it belongs”, said Franklin, who retired from the newspaper and is now a journalism professor at Montclair State University. She said he had called it “the icon of the century”.
Advertisement
The image, captured by a former photographer from The Bergen Record, became a symbol of hope and resiliency in the face of unimaginable tragedy. It has been donated to the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
