Survivors visit to laud small town's memorial

ANTHONY - At least two things in this small town can't be matched in New York: steaks and the town's Sept. 11 memorial. That's coming from Jack Lynch, a longtime New Yorker whose son died trying to help a woman in the south tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

He thinks the Anthony memorial, which incorporates steel from the twin towers, limestone from the Pentagon and dirt from the Pennsylvania field where a third hijacked plane crashed, is more appropriate than what's planned near ground zero in New York.

"It's not a fantastic memorial, it's not a huge memorial like we'd expect at ground zero," Lynch said. "But it's appropriate.

"Our freedom has been affected. We feel that this memorial should be about 9/11 and 9/11 only."

Lynch and fellow New Yorker Charles Wolf wish New York would follow Anthony's lead.

They are part of a growing group that wants to keep certain organizations out of the International Freedom Center that's planned near ground zero.

The group, called Take Back the Memorial, has representatives from 15 different Sept. 11 organizations.

They're afraid that a theater and a museum dedicated to freedom could distract people from what happened that day.

The museum would chronicle freedom throughout history, including displays that teach visitors about Martin Luther King Jr. and how the Allies conquered the Nazis.

"These are important stories that should be told elsewhere," Lynch told about 75 people gathered at the Anthony memorial. "We need to make sure all politics -- left, right or center -- stay way from the memorial."

Anthony's memorial was built for about $80,000, which was raised by selling brownies, T-shirts and inscribed bricks built into the sidewalk leading to the display.

The Take Back the Memorial group chose Anthony as its first stop on a tour to spread its message.

"This has been a labor of love," said Debbie Mangen, who is on Anthony's Sept. 11 committee. "We all felt so helpless when this happened."

She said it was "breathtaking" to have family members of Sept. 11 victims highlight their modest memorial.

"It's humbling that they want to come," she said. "I think they've learned a lot about Kansans and we've learned a lot about New Yorkers."

Charles Wolf is one of those New Yorkers.

His wife, Katherine, died when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the 97th floor of the north tower, where she was working as an executive assistant.

Moments before that happened, Wolf heard a thunderous roar as the plane flew over his apartment at 480 mph.

He watched the towers fall on TV.

"I got up, I turned around and said, 'I guess I've got to start my life over.' "

He tried to preserve what memories he could, even sealing Catherine's clothing in plastic to preserve her scent.

Some 1,100 people have no graves to go to because their family members were never found.

"What do you have left but a memorial?" he said.