HERSHEY, Pa. — “Do you remember the morning of September 11 2001, 77 minutes in time. time that had frozen for some. Directly changed the lives of 2,977 souls.”
Frank Siller, the founder of Tunnels to Towers is on a mission to walk more than 500 miles from Washington, D.C to Manhattan, N.Y. to honor his brother and all other souls who lost their lives on 9/11.
“We live in a day and age where everyone just simply forgets the past, but we need to remember the past."
“From the pentagon, to Shanksville, to ground zero, the three locations where there was such a loss for life 20 years ago, it has to have meaning, it has to have purpose and that’s why this walk means so much to me," said Siller.
Siller’s brother was a New York city firefighter who strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the Brooklyn battery tunnel to the Twin Towers where he gave up his life to save others
Frank says it's a day he'll never forget.
“I was in my house waiting for my brother to come home, cause we were supposed to play golf with my other two brothers, and as the day progressed and the first tower came down, I remember turning to my mother in law and saying: ‘Nancy I think I just lost my brother," said Siller.
He says that although it never gets any easier, he hopes that through the foundation he can make a positive impact on the community.
“It’s been a really special day bringing the community together making sure we don’t forget," said Siller.
Sillers' hope is that even on it's 20th anniversary, there is still good that can come out of the tragedy.
“Some things happen that are terrible, but we have a choice and out of that choice is to do good for somebody else and that’s what makes it a lot better," said Siller.