Frank Siller of Tunnel to Towers from the Lincoln Memorial

CLAY: We bring in now Frank Siller, who is the founder of Tunnel to Towers. This is the 20th anniversary of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation started by Frank Siller to honor his brother, Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11. By the end of the year, Tunnel to Towers will have delivered 450 homes to those in need who are veterans. And today, Frank, you’re at the Lincoln Memorial reading all 7,070 names of those we’ve lost in the War on Terror. What has the experience been like for you today at the Lincoln Memorial?

SILLER: Well, it’s very emotional and most certainly gratifying to bring all these Gold Star families together and to read these names of these great heroes. Most Americans don’t even realize there’s been 7,070 men and women who have given their lives for our country since the War on Terror started in 2001. And to read names out loud here today right at the Lincoln Memorial, you know, right by the, you know, where everybody… All these memorials where there’s such prices been paid for our freedom — and to stand there is read the names, nothing more important than to do that on a day like today.

BUCK: Frank, it’s Buck. I just want to say thank you, and we all are so appreciative of what you do, first of all, with Tunnel to Towers day in and day out. But particularly today honoring those lost in the War on Terror. Can you just bring us into the scene a little bit? Who is there with you and what are some of the things that you’re gonna be accomplishing today in D.C.?

SILLER: Well, we have… So, just envision this. We’re right on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial. Behind our podiums is a — what looks like (garbled cell).

CLAY: I think we’re gonna have to grab Frank and get him a new signal there. Let’s call him back, guys, ’cause obviously he’s doing important work right now at the Lincoln Memorial and, Buck, kind of contextualizing what’s going on: 7,070 names being read. Tunnel to Towers does incredible work. But in particular on this day when we honor the sacrifices of so many people who have an given us the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms that we have, I think it’s just emblematic of the work that this foundation’s done over 20 years and the people that they’ve honored.

BUCK: And it’s so important to keep it in people’s minds such that they know this is an obligation, a sacred obligation on all of us to help those, their families and those who are wounded or were killed in action in the War on Terror. ‘Cause, Clay, we don’t really… We’re not fighting wars right now the way we were. For a while, we knew people who were out there downrange.

We knew people who were being injured or even killed in combat. This was a regularly occurring thing. So I think it’s easier right now for a lot of people to forget about the fact that those obligations that we have to those who serve continue on long after they’re no longer downrange, long after we’re no longer in front-line combat roles. Our soldiers, airmen, Navy, Marines, are no longer in those roles in Iraq, Afghanistan, other theaters of conflicts. Frank, we’re sorry. You are telling us, you were setting the scenes and your phone cut out but bring us back to what you were doing in D.C. today.

SILLER: Yeah. So, like I was saying, just envision that we’re on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial. Behind me is what looks like an American flag but it’s made of all the dog tags of those who gave their life for our country since the War on Terror started, all 7,070. Draped on either side of them are American flags that were donated to us by the FDNY, all my buddies in New York.

Your listeners might not know. My brother was a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11. He ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel with 60 pounds of gear on his back, and that’s how he got to Ground Zero, and while saving others, he gave up his life. And that’s how we started the foundation. So we have these other American flags.

Right by the reflection pool, we have illuminations of all the names with a candle in it of all 7,070 that wraps right around there, almost like a mile and a half long that wraps around there. And we have Gold Star families, Gold Star families, the widows and children that are reading these names. We have colonels and generals that are reading the names of these great heroes that they’ve lost in combat.

We have catastrophically injured service members, many of which we built specially adapted smart homes. We at the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, you know, we build mortgage-free smart homes for these great heroes. They’re reading their names. They might have just survived and barely survived ’cause they lost two, three, four limbs.

But they’re there because of the great heroes to the left of ’em, the right of ’em didn’t survive; they died on the battlefield. And they’re reading their friends’ names that are there. So it’s very emotional to say the least and it’s so important that we’re doing it. It’s never been done. It’s something that should have been done before. But for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, we want to do things that really shined a big light on the sacrifices made on 9/11 and ever since. And what better way than doing that here today?

BUCK: We’re speaking to Frank Siller, founder of Tunnel to Towers Foundation. He is in D.C. today. They are reading the names of all 7,070 men and women of the armed forces of this country who gave their lives in the War on Terror. He’s at the Lincoln Memorial. Frank, I know that you’re in the Season of Hope for your organization and you’re continuing with this work. Tell us what is coming up and give folks a sense of how they can help, how they can contribute.

SILLER: Well, today also — which I didn’t mention, I will now — we delivered 35 mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families today. Because our foundation, our first responsibility is make sure we never forget and honor the sacrifice. That’s what we’re doing, reading all the names. Have to do it. It’s so important. Also, we want to do good. And by doing good we take care of these families that paid the ultimate sacrifice.

They lost their loved ones, leave young families behind. We delivered 35 mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families today. So we’re so proud to do it on Veterans Day. But it’s not over. We have to complete the promise that we made of 200 mortgage-free homes before the end of the year, and we have our season of hope coming up, which will start on Thanksgiving and end on New Year’s Eve where we’re gonna be delivering another 71 mortgage-free homes.

Many smart homes for our country’s most catastrophically injured service members, to Gold Star families, and to fallen first responder families who died if the line of duty that leave young children behind. So we have a lot of work ahead of us. Two hundred mortgage-free homes this year, but I want your listeners to understand.

We’re not done! There’s so much more work that has to be done. And we need them to join us on this mission. Go to T2T — that’s T, the number 2, T.org — and donate as little as $11 a month. And, you know, we bring a million people together, we can take care of all these families that are still waiting, not just, you know, what we’re doing, 200 homes this year, but every year going forward, ’cause there’s that kind of waiting list for the help that they deserve.

CLAY: Frank, thank you for all the work you’re doing. Also thank you to our audience which has donated over $5 million to Tunnel to Towers Foundation. We’re proud to be working with you to make such a tremendous difference to so many people out there, so many veterans and their families. Frank, keep up the good work and keep doing the great job you’re doing at the Lincoln Memorial. We appreciate you joining us.

SILLER: Thank you. And God bless all our veterans.

CLAY: Amen. That is Frank Siller, Tunnel to Towers.