Wisconsin city to remove deteriorating 9-11 memorial

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The city of Green Bay will soon remove a 9-11 memorial that bears inaccurate information and has deteriorated amid eastern Wisconsin’s harsh winters.

The memorial, which has a steel beam from one of the fallen twin towers, was donated to the city by a group of private citizens from nearby Calumet County in 2005.

But residents later realized the monument incorrectly identified the flights involved in the terrorist attacks. And the monument’s base was built of interior-grade marble, which eroded and left most of the victims’ names illegible.

City Council members voted unanimously on Tuesday to remove the monument along the Fox River, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported . Honor guards will dismantle the monument during a ceremony tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11.

“What was once a source of pride is now a source of embarrassment,” Alderman Chris Wery said.

The beam may be integrated into a new 9-11 memorial that’s planned to be housed in a proposed public safety building. The new monument could include an interactive display, said Public Works Director Steve Grenier.

For now, the Green Bay Police Department and the Green Bay Metro Fire Department will alternate displaying the beam. Other parts the monument will be placed in storage until a new design is created.