Ship lover designs sea-borne 9/11 memorial
July 19th, 2009
Setting sail for New York Harbor 2009 by Michael Lamendola – February 13, 2008
For Scott Koen, just as it had been for the nation as a whole, the events that unfolded on the sunny Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001 would be etched in his mind forever. A resident of Rutherford and at the time, a director of operations at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the terrorist attacks and the loss of innocent lives weighed heavily on his conscience. Add in the mix that he’s a volunteer fire fighter and the mood gets a little more somber knowing many that died that day were brothers in a way. His father was also a 20-year military veteran, so patriotism also ran through his veins.
His basement is a mini archive to the military. On the walls hang pictures of fallen soldiers, plans for naval ships and articles documenting the demise of the Twin Towers. There’s clay shavings sitting on a well-lit desk that he frequents often, working on a bald eagle, the symbol of American pride.
Memorials were being planned in nearly every town on both sides of the Hudson where 9/11 impacted most, but having a job on the Intrepid gave Koen a unique idea as how to memorialize those lost; this time, a sea worthy memorial.
“When it happened, I could tell you right off that it was something that was going to change the world,” said Koen. “In the days after, my first thoughts were anger, but I’ve always been artistic, so I started to design a memorial.”
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