Mobile 9/11 museum stops in downtown Raleigh

Lucie Knapp-Miller lived in New York City when two planes brought down the World Trade Center towers, a place her husband once worked.

"This is the windows that were all shattered, and this was the flooring," Knapp-Miller said, describing two items inside the traveling 9/11 Never Forget exhibit. "Knowing the building so well, it just hit much differently."

Knapp-Miller said the events of that day are still shocking.

"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she said.

Jeff Pickover, a former Florida firefighter, brought his 9-year-old son Matthew to see the exhibit. They also came to pay tribute to a friend.

"My wife's friend, Tommy Kennedy, he was on Ladder 101," Pickover said. "He's a hero."

Kennedy and six other members of the Ladder 101 crew died on Sept. 11, 2001.

The mobile museum also tells the story of firefighter Steven Siller, who was finishing up his shift when he heard about the attacks.

Siller ran through a tunnel nearly 2 miles to get to the World Trade Center, where he later died.

Tunnel to Towers also raises money to build specially equipped homes for service members who suffer catastrophic injuries.

Ten homes have been built so far, and construction is ongoing on homes in Fayetteville and Southern Pines.