The 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit paused in Perry for about one hour Friday before continuing in its solemn procession to Jefferson.
Four law enforcement agencies and eight emergency response agencies swelled the progress, along with about 100 motorcyclists of Freedom Riders USA and a number of patriotic fellow travelers.
The traveling memorial arrived in Perry about 11 a.m. and left at noon for the 31-mile caravan to Jefferson, where the exhibit will be parked in honor through July 4.
The Perry Police Department, Jefferson Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s office and Greene County Sheriff’s office were represented in the procession as were volunteer fire departments from Perry, Jefferson, Rippey, Grand Junction, Boxholm, Scranton, Bagley and Gilbert.
An ambulance of the Greene County EMS and two service trucks from the Midland Power Cooperative also followed in procession.
The caravan will proceeded westward out of Perry on Iowa Highway 141 and then turned north on Iowa Highway 4 for the drive into Jefferson. The 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit will offer free public inspection at the intersection of Iowa Highway 4 and U.S. Highway 30 in Jefferson through Independence Day.
The exhibit originated in New York City as a tribute to fallen New York Fire Department firefighter Stephen G. Siller, who died while running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers Sept. 11, 2001. Siller’s family started the exhibition in 2013.
“This brought tears to my eyes,” said Betty Biersma Liebsack of rural Perry. “My heart is full. I came early because I thought it might be open here in Perry, but it wasn’t. I hope to get up to Jefferson this weekend to see it inside.”
The 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit features artifacts from the Twin Towers, photos and educational information.
It was great to see the start of this procession. Too bad it wasn’t actually on display here in Perry. There was a fire truck here from as far away as Boxholm to be in the procession.