Sept. 11, 2001 was a day that changed America forever. And from that tragedy, heroes and heroines arose, and everyone knows who they are: the police, firefighters and emergency personnel who responded at the risk of their own lives. To honor these heroes and heroines in our own community, the South Carolina State Museum will offer free admission to all police, fire and emergency rescue personnel on Sunday, Sept. 11 – the tenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center .

“There were many heroes that day in addition to the police, fire and EMS personnel,” said Willie Calloway, executive director of the museum. “Many ordinary citizens pitched in to help in any way they could. But these people were the ones who rushed into the chaos and put their lives on the line, and we want to offer this recognition in acknowledgement of their sacrifice.”

To additionally mark the date, the museum will feature a sobering reminder of the events of that fateful day. A piece of severed steel beam from the World Trade Center is prominently displayed in the museum’s lobby.

Also on view is a series of photos taken from 250 miles into outer space from aboard the International Space Station. One of the three crew members was South Carolina astronaut Col. Frank Culbertson. The images show a smoke plume rising from the Manhattan area.

Another photo, the 2010 “Tribute in Light,” shows twin beams of light shooting into the air from near the former World Trade Center site to represent the country’s resolve to rebuild and move forward in the face of adversity and to replace terror with the hope for peace.

For more information on the World Trade Center beam, contact Tom Falvey at (803) 898-4921.