As part of our nationwide disaster relief efforts, New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTY) became the custodian for The National 9/11 Flag, a 30-foot American flag destroyed at 90 West Street in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center. Rescued from Ground Zero in late October 2001, the flag was first stitched back together by tornado survivors in Greensburg, Kansas on the 9/11 Anniversary 2008.
With the help of 23 firefighters from the FDNY, Slidell, Louisiana, and Utica, Illinois who served as a volunteer Honor Guard, and with the support of key supporters, staff, and volunteers nationwide, NYSTY had the privilege of taking The National 9/11 Flag on an historic 50-state journey to empower Americans all across the United States with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of stitching the flag back to its original 13-stripe format using fabric from retired American flags in all 50 states.
An estimated 30,000 wounded warriors, military veterans, first responders, educators, schoolchildren, 9/11 family members, and everyday service heroes helped to stitch The National 9/11 Flag back together by the 10th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The flag was stitched by soldiers and schoolchildren who survived the shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas, World War II veterans on the deck of the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, the family of Martin Luther King Jr., 20 Members of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta who proclaimed at the Pentagon on September 9, 2011 “This National 9/11 Flag will forever stand as a monument to the strength of the American people.”
The National 9/11 Flag contains threads from the American flag Abraham Lincoln was laid on when he was shot at Ford’s Theater. On June 14, 2012 – Flag Day – three red threads from the original Star-Spangled Banner flag that flew at Fort McHenry in the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem were sewn into the fabric of The National 9/11 Flag, thereby completing this amazing historic journey.
On May 21, 2014 The National 9/11 Flag was transferred to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the Museum’s official public opening ceremony. The National 9/11 Flag will forever serve as a testament to the resilience and compassion of the American people and a powerful symbol to the world that love is stronger than hate.
To learn more about the historic restoration tour visit: www.National911Flag.org