Jan. 9, 2019 – Washington Co., WI – Gordon Haberman of Kewaskum addressed the Washington County Board on Wednesday night regarding the 9/11 memorial in Kewaskum.
His goal was to encourage supervisors to vote on a resolution to make the beam, salvaged from the twin towers in New York, recognized as the official memorial in the county and soon statewide.
Haberman spoke to the County Board for about 20 minutes alongside Andrew Johnson of Mayville. Johnson’s son David died in 2012 while fighting in Afghanistan.
Below is a summary of the board’s actions courtesy Ethan Hollenberger.
The Washington County Board unanimously passed a resolution to designate the Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial as the official memorial in Washington County to commemorate the terrorist attacks. The resolution asks the State of Wisconsin to also make the monument the official memorial of the state.
Supervisor William Symicek of Kewaskum represents the memorial and moved to approve the resolution.
The board heard a presentation from members of Kewaskum Remembers, Inc., who have been planning the memorial designed around a piece of I-beam from the north twin tower. Kewaskum Remembers was organized by Gordon Haberman, who lost his daughter Andrea in the twin tower attacks. The steel arrived in Kewaskum in 2014.
“The Wisconsin 911 Memorial will remember all who have lost their lives on 9/11 and since due to the ensuing conflicts,” said County Board Chairman Don Kriefall. “The memorial will serve to educate Washington County residents and beyond of the terrorist attacks that changed our country nearly 18 years ago. This resolution ensures Washington County will never forget those who died nor those who volunteered at ground zero or to wear a uniform in the aftermath.”
At the September 2018 memorial event, Kewaskum Remembers approached County Administrator Joshua Schoemann to secure county support. County staff and Kewaskum Remembers already have started working with State Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) who commented, “The Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial is an excellent opportunity to honor and remember those who lost their lives on 9/11, including Andrea Haberman. I look forward to working with Washington County and Kewaskum Remembers on this important project.”
Kewaskum is located within two hours of over 80 percent of Wisconsin’s population making the memorial easily accessible.