Sep 11, 2009 7:08 pm US/Eastern
NY Man Honors Brother At Ground Zero Every Day
Brian Lyons, Who Along With Firefighter Brother Responded To 9/11 Attack, Working Construction At Site
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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A massive steel beam, called the "Last Column," has been returned to ground zero as a symbol of rebirth on Monday, August 24, 2009.
CBS
It's a story never told from Ground Zero, the words and life of one determined man who has been there every single day since 2001. It's the story of his love and dedication to his brother's memory.
Brian Lyon is a man whose entire life is connected to the sacred site of Ground Zero.
His father helped build the original Twin Towers. He proposed to his wife on the 107th floor, at the Windows on the World restaurant. And now, for the very first time, he's telling his story.
"I could walk this whole site and show you many places where lots of souls were found, and people were found, and fire engines were found," Brian said.
Eight years ago, Brian was one of the first rescuers at Ground Zero, his skills as a construction worker vital in the recovery effort.
"A day doesn't go by that I don't think of a spot that I could tell a story about," Brian said.
One of those stories is about his kid brother, Michael, a firefighter with Squad 41.
"Here's a picture of me and Michael. He's my best man," Brian said.
Included in that story are the words he'll remember forever.
"They said, 'Squad 41, report to Tower 2,'" Brian said.
Brian's brother, Michael, was rushing to Tower 2 to save lives. Within minutes, Brian was there too.
He never gave up hope that, somehow, Michael might have survived. Day and night, Brian helped cut steel, move cranes, and do the things he knew how to do – sleeping only for a few hours on sidewalks. His search lasted 16 days.
"I sat right [there], five feet away from here, and wept," Brian said. "I just knew it was over then, knew that no one was alive."
Brian eventually found Michael's pick axe, a discovery that gave him peace of mind, knowing where his brother lived his last moments.
"Where people are pouring concrete, and where they're blasting foundation holes – someone's loved one was sitting on top of that," Brian said. "We took them out of here and gave them the dignity that they deserved on their way out."
Brian was there when the last shovelful of dirt was taken out of the pit. He's now a construction field supervisor at Tower 4 who's found a way to work at Ground Zero every day since 9/11.
"This particular building, Tower 4, has been flying out of the ground," Brian says.
He helped get the commuter trains going again and worked on the foundation for the Freedom Towers' first steel beam. The memory of his brother is never far away.
"I think he'd be real proud actually, I think he would be really happy," Brian said. "My hope is to be here to the last bolt … bring my girls, Michael's girls here, and just reflect on everything."
On Thursday, Brian had an American flag signed by the nearly 1,000 workers currently on the site – it was flying above Ground Zero on Friday.
That flag will be presented to the commanding officer of the USS New York, the new naval ship that will be commissioned on November 7, whose hull is forged from steel from the original towers.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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