East Texas business builds twin towers replica in remembrance of 9/11 attacks

JOAQUIN, Texas (KTRE) - In honor of twenty years since the attacks on America on September 11th, 2001, Troy Massey, the CEO of TriState Vacuum and Rental, wanted to create a place where Americans can remember the victims. He decided to create a similar replica of the twin towers, and place it in front of his business.

“I got the idea off of social media, a friend of mine, a group of veterans they built one in front of their business. I thought it was a great representation of how America comes together in times of need and sometimes in times of tragedy,” Massey said.

Massey strategically placed the replica directly under the American flag and unveiled it Saturday.

“I think to myself where were we that day, and I think how it was a terrible tragedy, but I think how it united Americans. We were no longer this color or that color or this religion or that religion … we were no longer all these different things. We were just all Americans,” Massey said.

Massey said he believes he will leave the memorial up in front of his business year-round.

“I got the specs from a friend of mine who built one. It’s exactly to scale, the antennas to scale, the placement is to scale. And then we had to order the metal. It took a week or two, and then it took a couple of days to build it,” Massey said.

Micheal Neuwirth, an employee for Tri State, said that seeing the monument for the first time left him in awe.

“Actually, it was a heartfelt tears of joy moment. It is definitely a tear-jerker for this to be done,” Neuwirth said.

The remembrance also featured a memorial ride with 13 American flags to honor and represent the 13 American soldiers killed in the Kabul airport attack.