Episode 28: Remembering 9/11 with Frank Siller

Qaeda terrorists. The images of people jumping to their desk from the burning Twin Towers will forever be etched memories. We will never forget what those Islamist terrorists did to our fellow Americans. But what stood out on that darkest day was the bravery of so many Americans, ordinary Americans risking their lives to save others they didn't know if they would make it as the buildings burned down around them, Or the passengers on United Airlines Flight ninety three who

fought back to take the plane down. One of those men, Tom Burnett, called his wife to say, I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey. Can you imagine being Tom Burnett being that brave or receiving that phone call that his wife did hearing those words. We all know what happened next, the plane crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, rather than it's intended target. Tom Burnett's a hero. So

many ordinary Americans were heroes that day. The first responders who ran into danger to save lives, seeing the unknown in front of them, knowing that they could die, but they ran into danger. The first responders who ran into danger to save lives, who gave everything. Three hundred and forty three New York City firefighters, twenty three New York City Police officers, thirty seven Port Authority officers all lost their lives, and thousands have died since due to health

complications because they ran into the fire. They ran into danger to save lives, to risk it all. And then there were heroes like Frank Siller, who has dedicated his life to make a difference, for the heroes who gave everything, For the heroes who risked their health to risk their lives to save people. Frank's brother, Stephen Stiller, was one of those brave firefighters who ran into the danger to save lives. He died that day. He didn't have to

do it. He had already finished a shift. He was actually on his way to play golf with his brothers when he had heard about a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. But he chose to go and save lives, to risk his own life, to give his life in honor of Stephen's memory, Frank Stiller started the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring Stephen's sacrifice as well as a sacrifice of so many military men and women and our first responders, as

well as wounded in military men and women. In one alone, Tunnel to Towers Foundation will deliver two hundred mortgage payoffs in mortgage free homes to our nation's heroes and their families, two hundred in one year alone. No one does more to honor heroes and pay it forward than Frank Stiller and the Tunnel to Tower Foundations. He is truly attack estimate to a purpose driven life, and I have had

the honor of meeting him as well. He has a tremendous human being, one of the kindest guys you will ever meet in your entire life, and it is an absolute honor to have him as my guest on this episode, on such a special episode, as we remember the following, as we never forget, as we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, like his brother Steven Stiller, who was a hero who gave his life to try to save others. So, Frank, you are such a testament to living a purpose driven life.

Tunnel to Towers has helped so many people. You are also an exceptionally kind man. I have had the honor to meet you at Fox H so it is an honor to have you on the show. Thank you, Lisa, and I appreciate the fact that you do have me on because part of the reason why I'm walking this swalk seven miles to make sure that people listen and they don't forget what happened twenty years ago. And that's

so crazy. I I just I can't even believe that we're coming up on twenty years since Timber eleven two one, almost three thousand lives were taken by al Qaeda terrorists. I was in high school. I still remember seeing everything unfold on TV, just in complete disbelief and fear, uh and just so worried about the future of the country. Take us back to that day for you. What was that day like for you? You know, Lisia, I was in my kitchen waiting for my brother Stephen, New York

City firefighters to come to my house. We were going to play golf with my brother Rush, my brother George. It was you know, everyone remembers it was maybe the best day ever weatherwise, so we were all excited. But then, you know, it all changed in a moment's notice. The towel was hit. My brother heard it. He was on his way home from Squad one in Brooklyn. He was

on his radio. He heard it, turned around and went back to his fire house and got his gear and drilled to the mouth of Brooklyn Battery Tunnel where he was closer to security reasons. So you know, and I witness told me that his car came to a screeching hall and and what he did was he strapped the gearran and ran into the tunnel. And you know, we didn't know he did that on nine eleven. So you

asked me how what what happened that day? And I will tell you that I was uh frantic, uh, not knowing what happened, not knowing that Stephen got there and night, but I believed that he would figure a way to get there, because that's just the type of person he was, but not just him. That's with fire fighters and cops and men and women uniform do all the time. They're

running right into danger. And I tried to piece the day together, and finally I got a call by five fighter that lived a couple of doors away from my brother Stephen, and his name is Richie Obemyah, and he said, frank I wanted to let you know that Steven's on the list of missing five fighters. And I said, okay, rich thank you. I said, I've been trying to call him all day and without success, and uh, you know, I was hoping that, you know, he was just not

answering because obvious reasons. They were fighting the biggest fire and the largest rescue mission ever. So he goes, I, Frankie know it's really bad, Danny. I know, rich I said, I know, I could see it. I've been talking to a lot of firefighters. I know it's really bad. He goes, no, Frankie's bad. I said, rich I know it's bad. He goes, no, frank it's bad. Nobody's coming home. And uh, I was. You know, that's when the real realization was set in

and I went in the other room. I had my sisters there, my uh, two of my brothers, my son, my family, and I had to go in the other room and tell him what I was just told. And when I did, my sister Gina let out an unbelievable cry roll on our knees. But then we got up off our knees and we went to my sister in law's house and did what we were supposed to do. Stop being there for the people that we love to give the sounds you're here in the background because I'm

on my walk right now. Um. They never forget walk, So you're hearing the sounds of New Jersey. I'm walking towards uh um Jersey City. H and I'll be there sometime later today. But so that what happened on nine eleven, and then when we found out what Stephen did and that he ran through the tunnel, that we knew as a family that we needed to start and do something to recognize his heroic act. This when we started the Tunnel to taoas foundation quick commercial break and then more

about Tunnel to Towers on the other side. You had mentioned right now you're on a seven mile walk from the Pentagon to ground zero, six states and over six weeks. They never forget walk. I imagine it's been both emotionally and physically exhausting. As you remember your brother Stephen, a hero who ran into the towers to try to save lives. What has this walk been like for you? What what

does it meant to you? Well? I thought it was going to be a very emotional and spiritual walk, and it's been more than I ever thought it would be. I just have the the Fire Department Newer to New Jersey film. I'm on an interview guys. All right, Tom would agree right with you in a minute. All right, um to shake of my hand. We get this all over. So it's part answering your question. I have everyday citizens.

I have police department's, fire departments, you name it that everywhere we go, and I go uh throughout this journey. And I started at the Pentagon on August first. I made it up to Shanksville, Pennsylvania on August one, and now I'll be ground Zero for the anniversary and I'll be you know, retracing Steven's final roads footsteps that morning early that morning. But it's been glorious and you know what people yelling at a card, never forget. I love America.

The American flags that are going all over the place. I'm just in eastern Pennsylvania. Three hundreds high school kids with their marching bands were just like it grove me to my name's literally watching all these young kids. And that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to get

the message to younger families, to younger kids. You know what happened twenty years ago, what happened to America, That Islamic terrorists try to kill as many Americans as possible, and they did kill two thousand, nine hundred seventy seven and uh, I cannot be forgotten. And so so the journey has been magnificent, and the mission has been one to make sure that we shine a big light on

what happened, and it has been successful. And you talk about the young people that come up to you, you know, those high school students, what do you tell them about why it's important to never forget? Well, first of all, I tell them not just stories. My brother, there's so many heroes that they you know Stephens symbolic of the heroism of nine eleven. I mean, there were so many

acts of garbage. It's it's incredible and uh and I and I tell them, I said, look, people just went to work that day and they didn't come home and their families, uh, didn't have their loved one anymore because people try to kill kill us and they did, and we got to make sure that that doesn't happen again. And that's why we have the military, that we have an age appropriate you know. I mean, if they're ten years old, I'm not going to tell them that's all

that stuff. But if they're in high school, especially if the studios and seniors, I'm gonna be brutally honest. And I said, we can't let this happen again. And that's why we went to walk and over seven thousand, seven thousand men and women have given their life for our country. I said, does anybody here know that and believe it or not? Some do raise their hand and they say yes, And I said, well everybody here should should know. When I was in Morristown, Uh, Morristown, New Jersey, uh, two

days ago and we had a big parade. Thousands, thousands of people were there. It was beautiful. I asked how many people have been to Shanks Hill and not all. You'd be surprised on little hands weren't up that we're in Shankful, Pennsylvania. And I said, you gotta go there,

you gotta go there. And let me tell you when I was there on August one, and I was with a group of New York City firefighters and we went to the actual location where that plane was taken down by the great heroes of Light ninety three, all forty of them that took that plane down the first battle in the War on terrorism. And we won because they took that plane back and they saved lives on on

the ground, and they have a boulder right there. And I knelt down to say a prayer, and every firefighter knelt down with me, and we put our hands on that boulder and we said the Lord's Prayer. I will tell you the emotions were gushing out of all of us because we were thinking about those forty great Americans.

We were thinking about my brother, we were thinking about their firefighter friends, we were thinking about all the two thousand and seventy seven families, and how about we were thinking of the seven thousand families that die for our country we ever since. So if you were coming overcome with emotion being at that site and that live and and it was just so emotional emotional. It's today, I'll never forget the rest of my life. So everyone should go to Shanksville. It will help tell the story of

what happened on nine eleven. Every One should go to the Pentagon and everyone should go to Ground zero, into that beautiful museum that they that they did down at the ground zero, and and teach your kids. Tell teach your kids the truth what happened. That's all you have to do. Just tell the truth. Don't sugarcoat it. Just tell the truth because we want to make sure it doesn't happen again. Well, and we've talked about your your brother Stephen, which is why you started tunnel two towers.

He was zero. He was one of those three hundred and forty three New York City firefighters who died saving lives in the aftermath at nine eleven. He was a husband, a brother, a father. What was Stephen like as a brother or what was he like? It was crazy, that truth. He was a good crazy. Uh he was a dynamic human being. Um, I'll give you one real quick story. Uh. So he went to a meat loaf concert. And uh, he loved meet Love. He loved the thorough good you know,

bad to the bows. He used to make play that song for my son all the time and um so, but during this concert he he you know, he just loves it. Is so emotional. He jumps on stage. Now everybody else would have been arrested, and he caught it away. He got right to the microphone with meat Loaf and sang a song with him, and and then when he was finished, he just ran and jumped off the stage with the people's arms. He was he was just full of that type of love and enthusiasm for everything. But

he loved being in New York City. Firefighter, he knew, he loved a family. He loved the brotherhood. Look, my brother, my parents were gone by the time he was ten years old. My died died when he was eight and a half, and a year and half later my mom died. He was blessed that he had older siblings. We raised him by me. Really, my brother Russ who bla blas who sold passed away about a year ago. He lived in rock Call Center. But he knew Stephen knew the

importance of every single day you're not guaranteed anything. So he lived life to it's fullest. And h he told us all how to live, and he told us all how to die. You give your life up to somebody else who does that, and he did. We just wanted to honor, uh, you know what he did. So he was an outrageous human being. To to answer your question,

and Tunnelton Towers has just helped so many people. As I mentioned previously, you are truly living a purpose driven life with your mission and what you've accomplished with Tunnel to Towers. You know, why did you started and when did you started? We started it right away in December two thousand and one. We we knew we had to do something just to u just on a h. Stephen and what he did, we didn't know, Lisa. We did not know all the work that we were going to

be doing. We did not know it. The first several years, we helped children that that of the first respondents that died in the line of duty by giving them like stipends for education or you know along those lines. And it wasn't a lot of money, but it was good. We were very proud of what we're doing. Of course, our first mission was to make sure we never forget, and we did that by having the tunnels of Towers

run always the last Sunday in September. We'll have forty thousand people there this year running through that tunnel September UM. So you know, that was our mission until two thousand and eleven, first ever quadruple empathy to ever survive any war. Sergeant Brenda Baracco was from my hometown, Stephen's hometown where he was born, to Staten Island, and we went down. We visited Brendan at Walter Reid and I asked him if total of towns to build him home and would

go to Momorgage Free home. And it changed everything because there were so many of these guys that were surviving on the battlefield that we never survived another wars. And they had a nonbelievable need what they needed in these especially adapted smart homes, so we built over a hundred of them. And then when detectives Low and Ramos were assassinated in New York uh two thousands of December, just

because they were cops, that's it came. Somebody crazy person came up from Maryland and just shot him in the back of the head. Sitting in the squad cart just because they were cops. We heard that they were worried about their mortgages, and we paid off their mortgage and we renovated their homes and we saw the difference that made. So now you know, by the end of this year, Lisa, four hundred and fifty mortgage free homes. We will have delivered two hundred this year alone. And but there's a

lot more work that we we have to do. And this is our promise. Listen, and and we need America to join us on this mission that if somebody goes to serve their country, well they community and give their kids a kiss goodbye and they don't come home. Total the Towers are going to take care of the families left behind. We're gonna gift them, deliver them a mortgage free home. You could only do it if people join us and go to T two T dot org and donate as a little as eleven dollars a month. And

I don't think that's too much to ask. Every American you know turns around and says, oh, the government should do this, Oh this, they should do that. Who's gonna take care of that family? And they feel bad about it. Well, you know what, for lous eleven dollars a month, you could be part of this great mission that we're doing and give these houses to these great families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for all freedom and all security. Well, and I actually I saw one of your commercials on

Fox News and signed up. I I give more than eleven dollars, but I signed up myself. It's it's super easy. You can just do automatic payments each month. And you know, and I know the past year has been tough for a lot of families financially, so you know, you can sign up what you can to help out. But you know, I can promise you guys. Frank's just doing tremendous work and just helping you know, so many people. So it

really is important, you know, Frank. But we're just reminded of the sacrifice that our service members pay for our country, latting down their lives to to keep this nation free. Who give so much. We just saw this in Afghanistan with the suicide attack. Thirteen young U S service members lives gone way too young, families without loved ones. What have you learned about sacrifice in meeting so many of these gold Star families and meeting so many of these

families who have lost first responders, both police, firefighters. What have you learned about sacrifice with all of this? This is what I know. I know that all these people that serve, whether it's serve our country or a police officers, quirefighters, they love it. They love what they're doing. It's in their blood, it's ingrained. These are special human beings. Not everybody can do it. It's plain and simple. Not everybody

can do it. And when they die, they die doing what they love, you know, saving people or protecting people. Now that being said, when they die. And it should have happened in the Thirteen Great Americans, and we just lost the greatest country that ever existed, and we couldn't leave there in the proper way. Shame shame on whoever was in charge of that, and we know who it is. But I really don't want to get overly political, but my heart breaks for these families because it shouldn't have happened.

And I do talk to gold Star widows all the time, and they are destroyed, that's the word destroyed on what happened a couple of weeks ago to these Thirteen Great Americans rest assured that the total of the Tawas Foundation will be there for any family that fits our criteria that leaves a young family behind. And we know there's one widow that is pregnant and that this husband who will never see their child and this child will never see their father, and that's that's uh, that's disturbing and

to the unteen degree. So but Tontal the Tawas Foundation, that's what we're there, and that's our promise. We're going to take care of that family, take care of the family of the of the trooper in Connecticut that was just washed the way in the hurricane. We already already spoke to this family and tell them we're going to take care of the mortgage. We will take care of

the family of the police officers that were shot in Kalamazoo. Um. We already spoke to that family and uh we let them know I'm going to take care of that family. And that's what we do all over America. In the time we need the Foundation, We're going to be there to make sure that we support these great families and let them know they're not alone. And we do more

of than just pay off the mortgage. They've become part of the Tunnel Towers family, part of the Silver family, and they go to all the events that we do because it is part of the healing process. Let's take a quick commercial break and then back with Frank Stiller on the other side. You know, you said that when you start off Tunnel to Towers, you had no idea that it would turn into you know this, you'd be able to help so many families as you have. What do you what do you vision for the future for

a Tunnel to Towers? What do you what do you hope to do and to accomplish even further? Then all, there's so many families that you've already helped, Well, there's so many more families. So with delivering two hundred mortgage free homes this year, if I had enough money, I would deliver five hundred this year. If I had enough money, I would deliver a thousand this year. And it's that simple. There are a lot of families that still are waiting for the kind of support that that we that we

give so that will be endless. There will be two hundred police officers that die this year alone. Two how many Americans know that you know and just so think of that number, many of them fit that our criteria that leave a young family behind, so work for us and cut out. It's very simple. Our mission is to take care of all these families that are left behind, but it's also never to forget and stand by for other things that we will be doing over the next

uh decades to come to make sure. The first fishion is to make sure we now forget what happened twenty years ago and never forget of the men and women that continue to die for our country. And Frank, I know you mentioned it be or, but where can people go to sign up and to learn more about what you guys do and to help out financially. So to the ch two che dot org, it's stands for the the tunnel to taois t the number two ch dot org.

And that's why you know we we we count on The in Fight Department is a saying many hands makes light work. So if many people come together, we could take care of all these families. And I think for eleven dollars and months you should join us on our promise that that will always be there for these families that pay the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and once again for our security. And freak. It's such an honor to know you. You you really just do you live a

purpose driven life not many people do. Every day you're dedicated to helping our heroes, helping to people who have given their lives, given a limb in sacrifice to this nation. Anything else you want to add beat before we go, sir, Well, it's just that I'm on this walk. I'll be finishing on September eleven. I'll be walking through this same steps that my brother ran through the tunnel on September eleven to twenty anniversary. I'll be with my wife, my kids,

my brother, and my sisters. And uh, when I come through that tunnel, I will be just thinking of all the great Americans that we lost twenty years ago. And I asked people to say a prayft for my family, for all the families uh that that lost somebody uh twenty years ago, and of course once again I prayed for thirteen Americans we just lost in the seven thousand, uh that that we lost over the last twenty years to protect us here at home. Yes, sir, Frank, honor

to know you. Thanks so much for joining the show. I truly appreciate it. Thank you. Lisa, God bless you, and God bless America. God bless you, Frank. I want do you think, Frank Stiller, for such a powerful interview and remembering his brother Stephen, Please take a moment to pray for the Siller family and so many families around the country who are really going to be mourning the loss of their loved ones and remembering the fallen. Pray for them and just pray for the future of our

country as well. I want to thank you at home for listening. If you enjoyed today's show. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a review, rate US five stars and Apple Podcasts. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. At least some Red Booth also want to anchor team producer John Cassio, writer Aaron Kleigman, researcher Isabella McMahon, and executive producers Debbie Myers and speak renew Gingrich all part of the Gingridge three sixty network and team