Logan Sept. 11 memorial 'heart-wrenching'

(AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Lynne Green of Boston kissed the name of Jesus Sanchez, her son's father, during the dedication of the memorial for the 147 passengers and crewmembers killed on Sept. 11.

By David Abel, Globe Staff

The mournful skirl of bagpipes punctuated a solemn ceremony today on a freshly planted patch of grass at Logan International Airport, where more than 100 dignitaries and victim's families gathered to dedicate a $4-million glass and steel memorial to Sept 11.

This airport was where 147 passengers and crewmembers last touched the earth before climbing aboard those doomed flights that were crashed into the World Trade Center. The simple, 45-minute ceremony honored the last moments of the dead, whose names are inscribed in two 11-foot-tall glass panels.

"I didn't expect it to be as heart-wrenching as it was," said Katherine Bailey, a Lynnfield resident whose husband, Garnet Edward, died aboard United Airlines Flight 175. "We've been to so many services and memorials, but this makes me realize that my memories are not buried as deep in my heart as I thought they were."

The memorial is set on a slight hill next to the Hilton Hotel and will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visitors enter on two winding walkways that mirror the twisting flight paths of flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11. The paths lead through ginkgo trees to a glass cube etched with names.

"Our intention was to build a public memorial at Logan Airport that acknowledges the tremendous loss for all who had loved ones on those flights, both the heroic flight crews and the passengers as well," said Massport CEO Thomas J. Kinton Jr. "We believe this memorial accomplishes that. "

The design by Moskow Linn Architects Inc. was intended to "create a place as the airport for personal reflection, a place for comfort, and a place of remembrance for anyone whose life was forever changed on Sept. 11," said Boston architect Robert Linn.

Governor Deval Patrick added: "This memorial honors the lives tragically lost seven years ago, pays tribute to the families and survivors left behind, and serves as a reminder to us all of the resilience of our country."

On the way in and out of the memorial is a round patio emblazoned with the words "Remember this day."

"This isn't just for the victims. It's for everyone," said Mike Sweeney, an Acton resident whose wife, Madeline Sweeney, was a flight attendant on Flight 11. "There's some comfort here, but unfortunately it brings up the tragic events of Sept. 11."

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