LIFE AND NO LONGER WITH US.
ANOTHER FELLOW WHO EMBODIES THAT
RIGHT NOW, LOST HIS OWN BROTHER,
FIREFIGHTER THAT VERY SAME DAY
WAS RUSHING IN A TUNNEL TO GET
TO THE TOWERS TO SAVE SOME
PEOPLE.
HE NEVER GOT OUT.
AND THAT WAS THE STORY OF STEVEN
MILLER PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENDED
THERE AMONG THE MANY TRAGIC
NAMES LOST ON THAT TRAGIC DAY.
BUT FRANK STEIL’S BROTHER
DECIDED NO, NO I CAN’T LET IT
END THAT WAY.
HE STARTED SOMETHING THAT IS NOW
KNOWN AS TUNNEL TO TOWER
FOUNDATION WHERE THEY HELP NOT
ONLY THOSE WHO SURVIVED THAT
DAY.
BUT IT IS EXTENDED TO OUR HEROS
IN ALL BACKS OF LIFE WHO HAVE
FOUGHT HERE AND ABROAD AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT IN WARS, MANY COMING
BACK SADLY MANY, MANY OTHERS
THAT DO NOT.
SO --
FRANK GETS THEM SET UP IN HOME,
THEIR FAMILIES, MORTGAGE IS PAID
OFF AND SOME RETURNING IN
CRIPPLING CONDITION.
HOMES THAT ARE FRIENDLY TO THEM
AND THEIR AILMENTS.
FRANK STILLER CEO OF THE TUNNEL
TO TOWERS FOUNDATION, JOINS US
RIGHT NOW.
FRANK VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU
BACK.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON NEIL
AND LISTENING TO TIM BROWN HE’S
IS GOOD FRIEND HE JUST TOLD SUCH
A BEAUTIFUL STORY AND JUST SO
MANY OF THOSE STORIES THAT NEED
TO BE TOLD.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE PROUD OF
THAT WE DID START THE 9/11
TUNNEL TO TOWERS 9/11 INSTITUTE
WHERE WE HAVE A CURRICULUM FROM
AGES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH
GRADE AND WE’RE JUST VERY PROUD
OF IT SO YOU CAN JUST DOWNLOAD
IT GO TO T2T.ORG AND GET THE
STORIES OF NERCH AND WHAT TIM
TOLD OF HIS BUDDY HE KISSED AND
THEN GAVE UP HIS LIFE THERE’S
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOSE
STORIES.
NEIL: WHEN DID YOU LEARN THAT
STEVEN HADN’T MADE IT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, SO --
THAT QUESTION I BELIEVE THAT
STEVEN DIED WHEN THE SOUTH TOWER
CAME DOWN AND I TURN TO MY
MOTHER-IN-LAW I SAID NANCY I
THINK JUST LOST MY BROTHER.
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW HE GOT THERE.
NO IDEA HOW HE GOT THERE.
I KNOW HE WAS OFF-DUTY ON HIS
WAY THEM PLAY GOLF WITH ME AND
MY BROTHERS AND TURNED HIS TRUCK
AROUND AND GOT HIS GEAR AND RAN
THROUGH THE BROOKLYN BATTERY
TUNNEL WITH THAT GEAR ON HIS
BACK AND I DIDN’T KNOW HE DID
ALL OF THESE THINGS THEN BUT I
KNEW HE WOULD FIND A WAY AND
THAT’S WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO,
AND I GOT A CALL LATER IN THE
DAY AFTER BOTH TOWERS WERE DOWN
FOR A PERIOD OF TIME,
FIREFIGHTER RICHIE HE CALLED ME
SAID IT IS VERY BAD DOWN HERE
AND I SAID I KNOW RICH I CAN
SEE.
NO HE GOES STEVEN IS ON LIST OF
MISSING FIREFIGHTERRINGS AND I
SAID, ACTUALLY I KNOW THAT.
RICH BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WAS
RUNNING AROUND DIFFERENT FIRE
HOUSES TALKING TO THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TRYING TO GET
INFORMATION AND BASED ON
INFORMATION I WAS GETTING I MADE
SURE BROTHERS AN SISTERS WE ALL
GATHERED TOGETHER AT MY HOUSE
DURING HAD PHONE CALL HE SAID TO
ME FRANK NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
IT IS BAD.
I SAID NO, HE GOES NO, YOU DON’T
UNDERSTAND --
NOBODY IS COMING HOME.
NOBODY.
AND I HAD TO GO IN AND TELL ME
THREE SISTERS ALL MOTHERS TO MY
BROTHER BECAUSE MY PARENTS DIED
WHEN STEVEN WAS A LITTLE BOY,
AND MY BROTHERS I HAD TO TELL
THEM THAT STEVEN WASN’T COMING
HOME IT WAS WHO ARE RISK.
>> HORRIFIC.
>> YOU KNOW FRANK PART OF THIS
EFFORT TO THIS DAY IS --
TO TEACH PEOPLE NOT TO FORGET A
LOT OF SCHOOLS THIS IS NOT PART
OF THEIR CURRICULUM.
I’M NOT, BUT SAYING I THINK IT
COMES UP IN OTHER WAYS AND FOR
MANY OF THEM LIKE WIBS MY SONS
BORN AFTER THE FACT.
THAT THEY, THEY ONLY KNOW THIS
THROUGH MY CONSTANTLY FOUNDING
TO THEM AND OTHER PARENTS DOING
THE SAME.
I JUST WORRY AS I’M SURE YOU DO,
PEOPLE DO FORGET OR THEY --
THEY THINK THAT THIS CAN’T
HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> WELL, IT’S HUMAN NATURE TO
MOVE ON IN LIFE BUT YOU CAN
NEVER FORGET.
YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HEAL.
THAT’S OKAY.
9/11 FAMILIES WERE ALWAYS HAVE A
HOLE IN OUR HEART WE LEARN TO
LIVE WITH IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, OTHER FAMILIES
THAT WEREN’T AFFECTED THE SAME
WAY, AND SCHOOLS THAT WEREN’T
AFFECTED DON’T TEACH IT AND
WE’RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT
QUESTION GET IT OUT TO
EVERYBODY.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, PARENTS ARE
DOWNLOADING WE’VE MADE
ANNOUNCEMENT SO MANY PARENTS ARE
DOWNLOADING.
BUT LOOK, YOU KNOW YOU KNOW YOU
SAID IT WHEN WE CAME IN.
WE’RE GOING TAKE CARE OF EVERY
CATASTROPHIC MEMBER OR FIRST
RESPONDERS TO GIVE THEIR BODY
FOR THE COMMUNITY TAKE EVERY
WIDOW AND FIRST RESPONDER WIDOW
WHO HAD LOVED ONE DIE THAT LEAVE
YOUNG KIDS BEHIND TO HAVE A
MORTGAGE FREE HOME AND ALSO MAKE
SURE OUR FIRST MISSION WHICH IS
THAT WE NEVER FORGET AND WE NEED
TO HONOR THE SACRIFICE THAT’S
WHY WE STARTED THIS INSTITUTE.
NEIL: THAT’S AMAZING FULL
DISCLOSURE FOR EVERYONE HERE SO
I HAVE VESTED INTEREST IN THIS
ACTIVE CONTRIBUTOR AND MY ENTIRE
FAMILY TO FRANK’S TUNNEL TO
TOWER FOUNDATION.
IT DOES SUCH GOOD WORK.
I’VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE SOME
PEOPLE GET SICK OF HEARING BUT
PROUD FATHER AND MY SON LOOKS UP
TO YOU LIKE A ROCK STAR I
DISTINCTLY REMEMBER YOU COMING
TO MY TOWN IN NEW JERSEY LAST
YEAR, HE SEES YOU THINKS HE’S
SEEN THE POPE.
YOU’VE STAND AROUND WITH OTHER
GUYS THERE TAKING PICTURES --
HE NEVER FORGOT THAT DAY.
BUT YOU GET THAT A LOT, I BET.
>> WELL
>> LAST YEAR WITH SPECIAL I
WALKED FROM THE PENTAGON TO
SHANKSVILLE TO GROUND ZERO.
IT WAS TOWARDS MY JOURNEY I MET
YOUR SON AND HIS FIRE COMPANY.
IT WAS AN HONOR TO MEET THEM.
I WILL TELL YOU WHY PEOPLE REACT
REACT, NOT TO BE BUT TO THE
MISSION, IT’S WHAT WE ARE DOING.
IT IS BECAUSE WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE’RE TAKING CARE OF THE
GREATEST OF ALL OF AMERICANS,
THOSE THAT ARE WILLING TO DIE
FOR YOU AND I OR GIVE UP THEIR
BODIES FOR UNI.
WE ARE MAKING SURE WE HELP THE
FAMILIES THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND.
WE ASK EVERYBODY GO TO T TO
T.ORG AND DONATE $11 A MONTH.
IF PEOPLE DO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO
BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE ARE PROUD
TO SAY LAST YEAR OVER 200 HOUSES
DELIVERED MORTGAGE FREE HOUSES
AND WE WILL DO A LOT MORE THAN
THAT THIS YEAR.
AS WE CONTINUE WE NEED THE
SUPPORT.
I THANK YOU FOR YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY FOR YOUR CONTINUING
SUPPORT AND HAVING ME ON TODAY
TO TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER WAY
LOVE SO MUCH AND I MISS SO MUCH.
NEIL: YOU HAVE PROVEN IT TO THE
WORLD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
TUNNEL TO TOWER CEO, THEY CALL
THAT PAYING IT FORWARD.
IT’S A PAINFUL WAY TO DO IT AND
TO START IT BUT HE HAS DONE IT
IN STATES BECAUSE HE DOES NOT
WANT US TO FORGET THAT THEY EVER
NO MATTER WHEN YOU ARE BORN,
KEEP IT IN MIND, KEEP IT IN YOUR