The family of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller retraced his final journey through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel on Friday, September 11, 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Siller ran through the tunnel toward the World Trade Center after learning of the attacks, carrying 60 pounds of firefighting equipment. The walk concluded the Steel Across America tour, which transported a World Trade Center steel beam across the country to honor victims, first responders and veterans. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, created in Siller’s memory, continues to provide assistance to families of fallen first responders and veterans.
Siller’s brother, Frank Siller, who serves as chairman and chief executive of the foundation, joined Siller’s family members for the remembrance. The event connected the firefighter’s last known route with a broader national effort to preserve the memory of September 11 and support people affected by service-related loss and injuries.
The foundation said the steel beam traveled more than 10,500 miles over four and a half months, stopping at nearly 40 locations in more than 21 states. Communities used the tour as a place to remember the attacks and recognize first responders and veterans.
| 1) | The firefighter’s final journey |
|---|---|
| 2) | A family remembrance on the 25th anniversary |
| 3) | The Steel Across America tour |
| 4) | A foundation built from loss |
| 5) | Keeping the legacy active |
The firefighter’s final journey
Stephen Siller was a 34-year-old New York City firefighter, husband and father. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he had completed an overnight shift and was preparing to play golf with his brothers when he heard about the attacks on his personal scanner. He turned his vehicle around and headed toward Manhattan to help.
By the time he reached the area, his unit had already responded and the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was closed to traffic. Siller then secured approximately 60 pounds of firefighting gear to his back and ran through the tunnel on foot toward the Twin Towers. He died while responding to the attacks and never returned home.
A family remembrance on the 25th anniversary
On Friday, September 11, 2026, relatives retraced Siller’s route through the tunnel as Americans commemorated the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The walk took place in the same passage that Siller crossed after choosing to continue toward the disaster site despite the road closure.
His brother, Frank Siller, joined Stephen Siller Jr., who was nine months old when his father died. Speaking about the foundation’s continuing work, the younger Siller described the assistance provided in his father’s name as a meaningful legacy for the family.
“Every day we’re helping somebody in his name. That is such a beautiful, beautiful gift,” Stephen Siller Jr. said.
The Steel Across America tour
The tunnel walk served as the concluding event for Steel Across America, a four-and-a-half-month journey involving a 21-foot World Trade Center steel beam. The 16,900-pound piece traveled more than 10,500 miles through nearly 40 stops in more than 21 states before returning to New York.
The tour brought the artifact to communities around the country, where it provided a setting for remembrance and public recognition of first responders and veterans. Its final stop linked that nationwide observance to the personal route taken by Siller on September 11, 2001.
A foundation built from loss
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was established in honor of Stephen Siller after his death. Its stated mission is to serve families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families with young children, including through mortgage-free homes.
The organization also builds specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. In addition, it offers children of home recipients full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs, while working to address veteran homelessness.
Keeping the legacy active
The family’s participation in the final tunnel walk showed how the foundation’s work connects remembrance with ongoing assistance. Stephen Siller Jr. said the organization’s events take place across the country and help people in his father’s name.
The foundation says its broader purpose is to ensure that the September 11 attacks remain understood by future generations. The steel tour and the family’s retraced steps used physical landmarks and personal history to reinforce that commitment while honoring the first responders, veterans and families affected by the attacks.
| 1 | Family members retraced firefighter Stephen Siller’s route through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel on September 11, 2026. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Siller carried 60 pounds of gear through the tunnel toward the Twin Towers after the attacks began. |
| 3 | A 21-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam traveled more than 10,500 miles during the Steel Across America tour. |
| 4 | The foundation supports fallen first responder and Gold Star families, injured veterans and first responders. |
| 5 | The mission includes scholarships, adapted homes and efforts to combat veteran homelessness. |
Summary
The 2026 anniversary walk combined a personal act of remembrance with a national memorial tour. By retracing Stephen Siller’s final route and completing the steel beam journey, his family and the foundation highlighted both the sacrifice made on September 11 and the continuing support offered to service families, veterans and injured first responders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Stephen Siller?
Stephen Siller was a 34-year-old FDNY firefighter who died responding to the September 11, 2001, attacks after running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel with firefighting gear.
What was Steel Across America?
It was a four-and-a-half-month tour that carried a World Trade Center steel beam more than 10,500 miles through nearly 40 stops in more than 21 states before concluding with the family’s tunnel walk.
What does the foundation do?
The foundation provides mortgage-free homes to eligible Gold Star and fallen first responder families, builds adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, offers educational scholarships, and works to combat veteran homelessness.
