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Texas First Responders Climb Tower Of Americas To Commemorate 9/11

Brent Boller
/
Texas Public Radio

Hundreds of first responders gathered at the Tower of the Americas Monday to remember comrades killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, which took place 16 years ago.

With a radio call acknowledging the loss of 343 New York firefighters on 9/11, the fifth annual "San Antonio One-Ten, 9/11 Memorial Climb" began.

Hundreds of first responders began to climb the tower twice in full gear to replicate the 110 floors of the World Trade Center buildings in New York City. 

Among the climbers were Devon Craig and Josh Barnett, firefighters from Montgomery, Texas near Houston.

"I was in high school and I think he was just getting out and it kind of put us in the right direction to go help people as they did on that day,” Craig said.

And how prevalent is 9/11 in the American consciousness these days? Tower climb founder and director Dawn Solinski doesn't judge.

"These brothers of ours just took a call like we would and this happens. I’m not here to say what other people should or shouldn't remember, but firemen will never forget,” Solinski said.

As the first responders entered the Tower of the Americas, many of them carried tags representing the fallen.

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