Beam returned to World Trade Center site

NEW YORK, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- A 60-ton steel-beam fragment has been returned to the site of New York's World Trade Center as part of a permanent exhibit, city officials said.

The beam was the last to be removed from the site after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. While it stood, rescue and salvage workers covered it with commemorative messages and photos of those who died in the attack, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The 36-foot fragment, which had been stored in a hangar at Kennedy Airport, was returned Monday in advance of the opening of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

"It will stand proud in the museum as a symbol of the spirit of unity and dedication that brought people together at ground zero," memorial president Joseph C. Daniels said.