American flag of 9/11
Prior to 9/11, visitors to New York would often be amazed to find that beneath the huge twin towers of the World Trade Center, there operated a bustling hub of the New York City train system. Not only did several subway lines converge there, but one of the two trains (known as PATH) that connect New Jersey with Manhattan via tunnels under the Hudson River terminated there.
The vicious attack of 9/11 had serious repercussions for New York that went way beyond the horrific events of that day. One of them was the crippling of the transit system by the destruction of the underground station.
A very heartwarming and patriotic wrinkle in the rebuilding of the terminal occurred in New York Friday, coming not from an American, but from the Spanish architect chosen for the project. Santiago Calatrava was about to present a revised plan to the Port Authority board when he spotted an 8′ x 12′ American flag on display on a wall outside the boardroom. This flag, as he discovered, had special significance; it was the American flag that flew over the plaza between the two buildings on the morning of September 11th.
During the presentation, Mr. Calatrava indicated a blank wall at the end of the terminal and told the board, "We would like to suspend a very symbolic object," he said. "It could be the flag who is hanging here in this house." Port Authority Executive Director Kenneth J. Ringler Jr. responded enthusiastically, "I think it’s a great idea. It would demonstrate the resiliency of Americans to the thousands and thousands of people who would be going through that transportation center every day."
The flag was found in the rubble three days after the collapse and turned over to the National Guard who declined to destroy it, instead returning it to the Port Authority. Dirty and tattered, it has flown over a World Series, a Super Bowl and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
It’s instructive that while some Americans view American flags as symbols of repression and are moved to burn them, a highly educated professional from Spain views the American flag as the symbol of liberty that it truly is and endeavors to preserve it.