Each year since 2015, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has held the Tunnel to Towers Tower Climb NYC at One World Observatory at One World Trade Center in New York City. One thousand participants climb 104 stories, symbolizing strength, hope, and the resiliency of the American spirit.
The event honors the lives and sacrifices of all 9/11 heroes, including FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller and FDNY Captain Billy Burke — men who ran toward danger when others were running away.
But today, this climb is also personal.
I am climbing in honor of Sgt. Maj. Michael S. Curtin and Gunnery Sgt. Matthew D. Garvey — Marine Corps Reservists, members of 6th Communications Battalion, and 9/11 first responders who gave their lives while rescuing others at the World Trade Center.
They were Marines before that day.
They were leaders before that day.
And on that day, they embodied what it means to serve without hesitation.
As members of 6th Communications Battalion, their legacy is not distant history to me — it is part of my battalion’s identity. Their names live on at the Curtin-Garvey Complex at the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Brooklyn, where a 9/11 monument stands as a permanent reminder of their sacrifice.
When I climb these 104 stories, I am not just honoring firefighters and civilians — I am honoring Marines who answered the call in a moment of unimaginable crisis.
They did not hesitate.
They did not turn back.
They ran toward the smoke.
This climb is for them.
For their families.
For our battalion.
For every first responder who made the ultimate sacrifice.
With every step, we carry their memory upward.
With every floor, we recommit ourselves to the values they lived; courage, commitment, and selfless service.
At the top, overlooking the reflecting pools where the Twin Towers once stood, we are reminded that while buildings may fall, the spirit of those who stood tall that day never will.
We climb for strength.
We climb for hope.
We climb for our fallen.
And we climb so that we never forget.
