Christina-Taylor Remembered with Beam from WTC

Christina-Taylor Green was born on September 11, 2001, the infamous day when New York’s World Trade Center was destroyed, the Pentagon in Washington DC was targeted and damaged, and a third terrorist attack was thwarted when the passengers on-board United Airlines Flight 93 tried to retake control of the hijacked plane and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, leaving no survivors.

Shooting Spree Kills Five in Tucson

On January 8, 2011 another terrorist attack ended Christina-Taylor’s young life. Sadly, she was among the 5 people killed and 13 left wounded when a gunman shot into a crowd assembled outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona, to “meet and greet” Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was among the wounded.

In memory and honor of Christina-Taylor, who was the youngest victim of the shooting spree, a memorial will be constructed in the outfield of her Little League softball field in a suburb of Tucson. Incorporated into the memorial will be a five-feet long steel beam from the World Trade Center ; another piece of steel from the Pentagon; and a rock from the site where Flight 93 went down.

The memorial sculpture will be created by Lei Hennessey-Owen, who has created a number of sculptures of angels which can be seen at the “ground-zero” site of the WTC attack. The memorial for Christina-Taylor will also be an angel, 9-feet and 11 inches high, with the WTC beam incorporated into the angel’s skirt, while the rock and the other piece of steal will also become part of the sculpture.

Inspired by National 9/11 Flag

Ms. Hennessey-Owen says she was inspired to create this memorial for Christina-Taylor after the National 9/11 Flag–a flag which was found under the rubble at ground zero, restored seven years later and which is now being flown around the country as a reminder of the resilience of the American people– was raised at Christina-Taylor’s funeral.   At that moment Ms. Hennessey-Owen realized that after the funeral the flag will be gone, and then what will be left as a memorial to Christina-Taylor? Her answer was to create this memorial as a permanent reminder of the terrible losses suffered but with hope for the future.

The Green family issued a statement in praise of the sculpture/memorial to Christina-Taylor:

“Christina-Taylor wanted to be a symbol of hope for those touched by our nation’s great tragedy on 9/11, the day she was born” the statement read. “May this field and statue create a legacy of good sportsmanship and fair play for everyone.”