Many of us remember where we were and what we were doing the moment we heard that a plane had crashed into one of the twin towers. Not soon later we learned about additional strikes on the remaining tower, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, PA, avoiding the terrorists’ intended target, the Capital building. The hijackings on September 11, 2001 will forever be etched into the minds of Americans and this September, we ask everyone to remember the men and women who lost their lives that day.
Road Scholar Transport travels our nation’s roads every day, paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 with our Rolling Memorial and Flight 93 awareness trucks.
About Our Rolling Memorial Truck
We debuted this awareness truck just in time for the 10-year anniversary of the attacks back in 2011. On one side of the tractor, dubbed “Unit 911,” lays an image of the Freedom Tower. On the other side, written in red, are the names of the 1st responders, creating the red stripes in the Flag of Honor with the Statue of Liberty in the background and the phrase “Have You Forgotten?” the title to a Darryl Worley’s country song. The hood of the tractor displays an enlarged version of the 9/11 Heroes Stamp.
The trailer, which has brought tears to many eyes, contains the names (nearly 3,000) of all those who lost their lives as a result of the 9/11 events. These names surround an image of the World Trade Center which overlays the American flag in the center of the trailer.
Each corner of the trailer pays tribute to one of the planes that were hijacked (Flight 93, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and Flight 173), with a list of the crew and passengers who passed away on each particular flight.
About Our Flight 93 Truck
The bald eagle became the official bird emblem of the United States in 1782, symbolizing strength, freedom, and independence. So what better symbol to display on our tractor trailer than just that?
Our entire tractor features the head of an American eagle with the trailer depicting its wings in flight. Along the bottom of the trailer runs the names of the 40 people who lost their lives that day onboard Flight 93.
Strong Man Event
Come see Road Scholar’s Rolling Memorial truck on September 11th at East Stroudsburg University of PA as James Hagner, a disabled first responder, will strap on a harness and attempt to pull the 18,222 lbs tractor trailer to help raise money for the FealGood Foundation.
Founded by John Feal, a construction worker who lost half of his foot in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks and developed WTC Cough, The FealGood Foundation aims to assist 9/11 first responders who were injured and their families, along with helping to spread awareness about the catastrophic health effects 9/11 had on these individuals.
Hagner spent 43 days at the site as a volunteer fireman during 9/11 and has been disabled since the age of 36. After enduring a diabetic coma in May 2013, the doctors had told him that he had the lungs of a 92-year-old. “I never had asthma and it began there and worked its way up,” says Hagner. “For being a first responder of 9/11 and a tier 4, I was only given 2years to live.”
Four days later, Hagner went on a diet and started working out, losing 144 lbs in only 6 months. But things took a turn. “I weighed 427.6 lbs on Jan. 25, 2016 due to depression, being sick from 9/11 and being on prednisone, and life’s challenges. However, I am well on my way to my 2016 90-day Challenge with Retro Fitness Trainer Pete Sarro in Stroudsburg, PA. Everyone watched me lose weight once, watch me do it again.”
Hagner has been training for the big day. Check out the video below with the progress he has made!
“We stood together in America that one day and it would be nice to do it again. I want to show other responders that life isn’t over. As sick as I am, I want to show them that there is still an opportunity to make the best out of life,” he said.
The event will take place Sunday, Sept. 11th from 11 am to 3 pm at East Stroudsburg University of PA. The event is free and will feature live performances, vendors, and a 50/50 raffle containing thousands of dollars in prizes. All proceeds will benefit the FealGood Foundation. Swag Bag giveaways will also be awarded to the first 100 guests.
Don’t forget to check out our other awareness trucks, including our Support Our Troops trailer, at http://www.roadscholar.com/awareness-trailers/.
