Vasantha Velamuri, who's husband, Sankara Sastry Velamuri, was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, mourns at the place where his name is inscribed on the Sept. 11 memorial.
Ground Zero is gone — replaced this morning with the grand opening of a beautiful memorial that left the family members of the dead nearly speechless with emotion.
The National September 11 Memorial officially opened its doors a decade after the attack, a moving tribute complete with reflecting pools of water, names etched of the dead in bronze and the only tree that survived the attack.
Family members were first allowed on the site shortly after 9 am, arriving in a steady stream to see the names of their lost loved ones.
Many openly wept, overwhelmed with emotion, and scores were home-made tee shirts emblazoned with the name of the person they were honoring.
August Larsen, 9, makes a crayon rubbing of his father's name, Scott Larsen, who he never got a chance to meet. Larsen, a firefighter at Ladder 15, was killed in 9/11 just days before his son was born.
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August Larsen, 9, makes a crayon rubbing of his father's name, Scott Larsen, who he never got a chance to meet. Larsen, a firefighter at Ladder 15, was killed in 9/11 just days before his son was born.
“I found his name and it brought tears to my eyes. I felt like I had a real connection,” said Anthony Ottomanom whose nephew died in the attack.
“I’ve been coming every year and things have gotten so much better. The park is magnificent. The trees, the pools, it’s beautiful.”
Dennis Baxter, 64, lost his brother, Jasper Baxter.
He was so overcome with emotion upon seeing his brother’s name etched in stone that he initially felt confusion.
“I touched it...I didn’t know what to do,” the King of Prussia, PA man said.
Ultimately, he found solace.
“It was really moving,” he said.
Family members have been coming to the site of the attacks since the beginning, but today marked the first time when there was an official place for them to go.
They honored the dead by placing roses next to the names, making etchings to bring home, and silently praying.
Mary Dwyer, wore a t-shirt with images of her sister, Lucy Fishman, who died while at work for Aon, a firm that was in the south tower.
“It’s the closest I’ll ever get to her again,” said Dwyer.
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