September 11 memorial museum opens to public

The National Sept. 11 Memorial Museum on Wednesday opened its doors to the general public after a ceremonial transfer of The National 9/11 Flag into the Museum's permanent collection. The public opening comes days after U.S. President Barack Obama and 9/11 Memorial Chairman Michael Bloomberg addressed 9/11 families, rescue and recovery workers, survivors and others in attendance at a May 15 dedication ceremony. To mark the public opening, the volunteer nonprofit organization New York Says Thank You Foundation transferred The National 9/11 Flag into the Museum's collection after restoring it to its original glory in "stitching ceremonies" held across the country over the past several years. Linda Hill, principal of I.S.49 Staten Island from the city of New York, told Xinhua that a good majority of the students at the school got to put stitches in that flag. "These children were born in the year 2001 or 2000, and some of them have some personal experiences with 9/11," she said. "We want our children to have opportunity to be part of the history." The flag was recovered in tatters from Ground Zero. "This flag has become the modern day Star-Spangled Banner, reborn from the ashes of 9/11 and sewn back together with the love of 30,000 Americans in all 50 states," said Jeff Parness, Founder and Chairman of the Foundation. "The National 9/11 Flag is a powerful visual reminder that love is stronger than hate." The museum's exhibitions are located at bedrock of the historic World Trade Center complex. A memorial exhibition called "In Memoriam" pays tribute to the 2,983 men, women and children killed on Sept. 11, 2001 and in the Feb. 26, 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. "The 9/11 Memorial Museum preserves the history and explores the continuing implications of the events of 9/11 so future generations may never forget the significance of that day," 9/11 Memorial Museum Director Alice Greenwald said. The three-part historical exhibition tells the story of what happened on Sept. 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon and on board United Airlines Flight 93. It also explores what led up to the attacks, examines the aftermath and shows how 9/ 11 continues to shape the world.