The Battle for Ground Zero, Part 144

No, it isn't the unveiling of the 9/11 Memorial at the WTC designed by Michael Arad and would be located at Ground Zero.

This is a memorial honoring the supreme sacrifices made by firefighters on 9/11. It was built without having to deal with the red tape, bureaucracy, or nonsensical ravings of lunatic minds. This bronze plaque - 6 feet high and 56 feet long, faces out onto Ground Zero from Firehouse Number 10. Funding came, in part, from the law firm of Holland and Knight, who lost partner Glenn Winuk, a 20-year volunteer firefighter, in the attacks.

Martin Rambusch, whose Jersey City, N.J., studio was hired for the job, said artists first considered a photographic display, but opted for a more permanent tribute that includes 46 three-dimensional figures to represent the firefighters and the rescue effort.

The artists spent hours with the Fire Department examining the equipment and gear used that day. While some firefighters are wearing badges that show different ranks, none are meant to represent any particular person, he said.

A plaque dedicating the memorial to Winuk is at the side of the sculpture and underneath is a list of the 343 names.

Department spokesman Jim Long said the FDNY was grateful "for the attention and support" from the law firm.

Across the street, work has stopped at the trade center memorial until architects and politicians can agree on a new design to fit a $500 million budget. A temporary transit hub is the only facility to be rebuilt on the 16-acre site.

The memorial is dedicated to Winuk and the 343 firefighters murdered by the Islamic terrorists when the towers collapsed after being struck by the hijacked airliners. Once again, we see what happens when private entities take the job of rebuilding far more seriously than government entities who put politics first. It's also interesting to note that the WaPo article leaves out that there was one other building that was destroyed by the 9/11 attacks, and has since been rebuilt - 7 WTC, which was rebuilt and opened earlier this year by Larry Silverstein.

This memorial was built for $1 million. You can be assured that it will become a focal point for those who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks since work on the memorial has stalled over costs and the design itself.

Technorati: World Trade Center, WTC, Pataki, LMDC, urban policy, Freedom Tower, IFC, International Freedom Center, spitzer, silverstein.