The Naperville September 11, 2001 memorial ceremony Tuesday evening reflects the solemn occasion at the Commander Dan Shanower Memorial behind the Naperville Municipal Center.
The memorial was inspired by Naperville native Naval Commander Dan Shanower, who died in the attack on the Pentagon.
Dedicated on September 11, 2003, the memorial is nestled between the DuPage River and the Municipal Center in downtown Naperville and includes more than 140 faces created by Naperville schoolchildren symbolizing the casualties of September 11. These faces are molded onto the surface of a 48-foot retaining wall that serves as a backdrop to the memorial that also incorporates an eternal flame.
At the center of the memorial, a sculpture designed by Benton Harbor, Michigan, artist Bill Cooper integrates 100 pounds of rubble from the damaged portion of the Pentagon, a twisted steel beam from the World Trade Center and granite from the Pennsylvania region where Flight 93 crashed after passengers took on the hijackers.
Incised into the sculpture are an outline of Commander Shanower’s boot print, the insignias of New York area rescue workers, and the number “93,” in memory of the Pennsylvania crash victims. Click here for more information. City of Naperville government photo