It’s just a normal looking school off a normal looking road surrounded by
normal looking houses. But, there’s something not so normal here.
Even the campus looks like a typical community college campus.
Buildings of brick and mortar, manicured grounds, and meandering
walkways designed to bring classrooms together. But, in the back,
beneath an illuminated American flag you’ll find something not so typical
on a campus such as this. A memorial made of steel.
It was built more than twenty years ago by a group of students who once
walked these grounds. A group of students determined to honor those
Americans who fell victim to a terror attack on a sunny, September day
back in 2001.
With intent, the design class opted for something simple. Two structures,
side by side, emblematic of the two towers that fell that day. And within
these structures a series of 2,997 holes lit from within. One hole
representative of each soul lost.
The design was entrusted to the gifted hands of future tradesman. And
soon, students armed with blowtorches, welders, and drill bits made from
cobalt, began to build. Slowly but surely, with the gritty determination of
the American spirit the two structures began to take shape, until finally,
they stood defiant like a pair of middle fingers pointed directly at those
who dared take the original towers down.
But, there is something else of note here, something as resilient and
defiant as the memorial itself, and if you look closely enough you’ll see it.
A small poker chip honoring fallen American soldiers. It’s almost aways
here, and in those rare moments when it does disappear, either on the
gust of a strong wind of a coming storm, or deep in a curious child’s
pocket, it always returns as if by magic. Always.
So if you ever find yourself near the Northern Branch of Cape Fear
Community College, just on the outskirts of Wilmington, North Carolina,
take a quick detour to the back of this normal looking campus. That’s
where you’ll find something not so typical, and not so normal.
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