NYC Sends 9/11 Wreckage to Memorials Nationwide

Some 2,000 pieces of twisted steel, the remains of the World Trade Center, are sitting at a hangar at Kennedy Airport in New York. Eight years after the attack, the city is inviting mayors and first responders from around the country to take pieces of the fallen buildings, some of which weigh tons, to incorporate in memorials. Last year New York filled about 25 requests, and a new campaign is underway to speed up the distribution, writes the New York Times.

9/11 families are participating in the campaign, which has distributed artifacts as far as France. One recent request came from a 15-year-old Eagle Scout candidate in Windermere, Fla. After consulting with the small town's mayor, he applied and received a 650-pound steel beam. He was only 7 when the towers fell: "I wasn’t really sure what the building was, but it kind of scared me." (More 9/11 attacks stories.)