Pompeii monument honors 9/11 victims, symbolizes US-Italy unity

NAPLES, Italy — A twisted steel fragment from the Twin Towers, embedded in volcanic rock near ancient ruins in the southern Italian city of Pompeii, honors the victims of 9/11 while symbolizing the strength of U.S.-Italy relations, officials say.

The September 11 Monument is also a testament to Italy’s unwavering support of America in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks 25 years ago, Capt. Benjamin Foster, commander of Naval Support Activity Naples, said during a wreath-laying ceremony and observance Friday at Pompeii’s Piazza Bartolo Longo.

“There is an Italian saying: ‘Gli amici si vedono nel momento del Bisogno,’” Foster said. “You know your true friends in times of need. After September 11, Italy proved those words true.”

He noted that Italy stood alongside other NATO countries in support of the U.S., affirming that an attack against one is an attack against all.

Italy continued to stand alongside the U.S. and its allies during the ensuing coalition and NATO operations, in which some Italian service members were killed.

“Their sacrifice — and the solidarity of the Italian people — will never be forgotten,” Foster said in his speech, a copy of which was provided to Stars and Stripes. “That same spirit defines our partnership today.”

U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band Top Brass Quintet perform during the City of Pompeii’s 25th-anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in Pompeii, Italy. The commemoration brought together Italian and U.S. civilian, military and religious leaders to honor those affected by the events of Sept. 11. (Sean Rinner/U.S. Navy)

The ceremony, organized by the city of Pompeii, included Italian and U.S. officials and religious leaders, among other attendees.

“The joint presence of the Italian and U.S. authorities gives this commemoration the value of a shared memory capable of uniting communities and peoples in the name of the principles that terrorism tried to strike: freedom, democracy, civil coexistence and inviolable respect for the person,” Pompeii Mayor Giuseppe Tortora told the Italian newspaper Metropolis.

Erected in 2010, the monument includes a steel beam from Ground Zero and rock from the Mount Vesuvius, which erupted in A.D. 79, killing more than a thousand people and destroying the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The symbols unite the U.S. and Italy in shared tragedy, according to the Metropolis report.

NSA Naples officials regularly have participated in the annual Pompeii commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, including 411 of Italian origin.

During the ceremony, Foster also acknowledged that Italy hosts nearly 30,000 U.S. service members and their families at bases across the country, including at U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza, Aviano Air Base and Naval Air Station Sigonella on Sicily.

“We do not take that privilege — or the trust of our Italian neighbors — for granted,” Foster said.