AUBURN — Persistence paid off for an Auburn firefighter hoping to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center.

Firefighter Julian Beale will drive to New York City on Wednesday, returning Thursday afternoon with two pieces of the fallen World Trade Center in the back of his truck.

The largest of the two pieces, a nearly 11-foot piece of metal, is destined for Auburn’s Central Fire Station on Minot Avenue.

“We’re going to be building a memorial for 9/11 right there, outside the building,” Beale said. “We haven’t designed it yet; this will be part of it, on a pedestal there.”

A smaller, 4-foot piece will continue on up to Farmingdale, where it will be put on display at the town hall and fire station. Beale lives in Farmingdale and is a volunteer firefighter there.

“We just want to make sure we get the message out: Never forget,” Beale said. “Don’t forget the sacrifices that first responders made that day.”

Beale said he learned that pieces of the World Trade Center were available on a firefighters’ news group he subscribes to.

“It was written at the bottom of one email,” he said. “If you didn’t pay close enough attention, you would have missed it.”

The pieces are being distributed by the New York/New Jersey Port Authority. Beale was able to specify the rough sizes of the pieces, and had to agree to go down and get them.

“Then I went back and checked with the chiefs in Auburn and Farmingdale, and made sure I had their support,” he said.

He plans to get the pieces at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at  John F. Kennedy International Airport. Then, he’ll start the trek back home.

Beale said he is supposed to pick up escorts along the Maine Turnpike beginning in Gray. Volunteers from Fire and Iron, the International Association of Firefighters motorcycle group, will meet him there. Auburn firefighters will meet him at the Auburn Interchange, escorting him to the Minot Avenue fire station.

After delivering the larger piece, he’ll continue on to Farmingdale.

“The neat thing is that I’m supposed to get escorts the entire way,” he said. “Auburn will escort me up to Lewiston, then Lewiston firefighters will escort me to their town limit. That continues all the way up to Farmingdale.”

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