WAYNE — A piece of steel reclaimed from the World Trade Center site will be unveiled at a public ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

The township obtained the artifact through the networking of Councilman Frank Pietropaolo, who said he has a unique connection to the tragedy, which killed 2,977 people.

Pietropaolo is the director of construction services for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc. On the day after Sept. 11, 2001, the company was among dozens that brought excavation equipment to move debris at Ground Zero. He said he rode there in a lowboy tractor-trailer and that onlookers flanked the highway to cheer on the emergency response.

"It still gives me chills in my body," Pietropaolo said. "It was a time of patriotism that I haven't seen since. That's why I did my best to get it done."

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The township will host its annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at 6 p.m. in the park dedicated to seven local victims of the terror attacks on the Nellis Drive side of the municipal building, at 475 Valley Road.

The 3-foot steel beam is mounted to a granite block at the park entrance. A bronze plaque will be added at a later date.

Pietropaolo announced the plan to unveil the monument at a Township Council meeting on Sept. 2, saying it was something that he "always wanted to do."

With permission from the township administration, Pietropaolo said, he began to research how to acquire the steel beam a year ago — even before he was elected. He did not want to disclose its exact source, but he said the Association of Former New Jersey State Troopers Inc. helped to procure it.

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The cost for the monument was covered through donations, Pietropaolo said. He thanked first responders, J. Fletcher Creamer of Hackensack and Salomone Bros. Inc. of Wayne.

"I think that I speak for the rest of the council when I say, 'Thank you for putting this in motion,'" said council President Michael Fattal. "Thank you to the administration for supporting Councilman Pietropaolo, and all of the work that you did on your end."

Ground Zero steel is now a hard thing to find.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement released a decade ago that it completed its giveaways of World Trade Center artifacts after distributing 2,600 pieces of steel and other items to communities in 10 countries and in all 50 states.

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The objects included parts of the 360-foot telecommunications antenna that was atop the north tower, gift shop merchandise and PATH rail cars.

But the salvaged steel is a symbol that most often evokes feelings of resilience.

In May, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation embarked on a coast-to-coast tour with an 8½-ton steel beam from the World Trade Center site. The Steel Across America campaign will end at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sept. 13 during a prime-time game pitting the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants.

Philip DeVencentis is a reporter for NorthJersey.com. For access to the most important news in your community, subscribe or activate your digital account.

Email: [email protected]

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey town to unveil Ground Zero steel on 9/11 anniversary