349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Napa Memorial Garden was dedicated downtown. Attending the dedication was Col. Matthew Burger, commander of the Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Here, he is seated next to his Honorary Commander, the Mayor of Napa, the Honorable Jill Techel. Standing behind the Mayor is Napa Fire Marshal Darren Drake, who is responsible for getting the project started when he asked for one beam from the World Trade Center twin towers. He and Napa artist Gordon Huether, who designed the sculptural part of the garden, were given five beams. Four of the 24-foot tall steel beams can be seen here, with other smaller beams throughout the garden. Huether designed four panels of glass that stand at its center. With the largest reaching more than 14 feet into the air, the panels display the names of every victim, with one telling the story of that fateful day, and also explaining why Napa built this memorial. More than 500 people attended the dedication. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The newly dedicated Napa 9-11 Memorial Garden. The names of each victim of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are etched on the four glass panels that anchor the center of the sculpture, which includes four steel beams from the Twin Towers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The newly dedicated Napa 9-11 Memorial Garden. The names of each victim of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are etched on the four glass panels that anchor the center of the sculpture, which includes four steel beams from the Twin Towers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Napa artist Gordon Huether is interviewed by a local television reporter at the unveiling of the Napa 9-11 Memorial Garden. With the help of Napa Fire Marshal Darren Drake, Huether secured five beams from the ruins of the World Trade Center to incorporate into his sculture for the garden. The glass panels that he created to anchor the beams bear the names of each victim of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Several Travis AFB leaders attended the dedication, including Col. Matthew Burger, Commander of the Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing. He accompanied Napa Mayor Jill Techel, who serves as his Honorary Commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --A man and his child read the names etched on one of the glass panels that is part of the sculptural element of the newly dedicated Napa 9-11 Memorial Garden. The names of each victim of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are etched on the four glass panels that anchor the center of the sculpture, which includes four steel beams from the Twin Towers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res
349th 2013 911 in Napa

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Col. Ruth Meyer and her Honorary Commander, Napa Council member Bill Dodd, to her right, listen to a speaker at the Napa 9-11 Memorial Garden dedication, on the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attack on America. Four of the steel beams from the World Trade Center stand in stark witness behind them, as part of the sculptural elements created by Napa artist, Gordon Huether. Meyer most recently was the reservist Commander of the 349th Operations Support Flight at Travis AFB, and has been selected to be the individual mobilization augmentee to the two star commander of The Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ellen Hatfield)

Photo Details / Download Hi-Res

349th Wing commander attends 9-11 Napa Memorial Garden dedication

Published Sept. 13, 2013
By Ms. Ellen Hatfield
349th Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Twelve years to the day, after the events of 9-11, the Napa Memorial Garden was dedicated downtown, in this town in the heart of Northern California wine country.

Attending the dedication was Col. Matthew Burger, commander of the Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, Calif. Burger was seated next to his Honorary Commander, the Mayor of Napa, the Honorable Jill Techel. Also in attendance was the Napa Fire Marshal Darren Drake, who is responsible for getting the project started when he asked for one beam from the World Trade Center twin towers.

Drake and Napa artist Gordon Huether, who designed the sculptural part of the garden, were given five beams. Four of the 24-foot tall steel beams can be seen here, with other smaller beams throughout the garden. Huether designed four panels of glass that stand at its center, attached to these beams. With the largest reaching more than 14 feet into the air, the panels display the names of every victim, with one telling the story of that fateful day, and also explaining why Napa built this memorial.

More than 500 people attended the dedication, including several Travis commanders.

349th 2013 911 in Napa

349th 2013 911 in Napa

349th 2013 911 in Napa

349th 2013 911 in Napa

349th 2013 911 in Napa

349th 2013 911 in Napa