September 11 Memorial Vehicle: The Story Behind This Waynesboro-Owned Tribute Car in the 25th Anniversary Year
By Robb Helfrick
Like most Americans over 40, Steve Barry remembers where he was on September 11, 2001. Also like most patriotic citizens, Barry reflects on September 11th each year and recalls specific memories from that tragic day.
However, the Waynesboro business owner has gone further, creating a special project to honor the many lives lost and to recall the incredible bravery witnessed on that late-summer day. Seven years ago, Barry conceived a special car, and that idea eventually became a unique vehicular tribute to September 11.
This year, on the disaster’s 25th anniversary, Barry will share that unique memorial car with the Waynesboro community during a moving 9/11 procession.
Steve Barry grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, and has made Waynesboro his home as an adult. Along with his wife, Pam, they own the 1912 Hoover House, a handsome bed-and-breakfast inn on Main Street. The couple has also been involved in tourism and charities in Gettysburg.
Back on September 11, 2001, Barry was in Newburgh, New York, a community west of New York City. He recalled seeing planes from a nearby Air Force Base take off and head toward NYC. “I was driving down the thruway, and these two fighter jets flew right over me; it shook my van.”
Before the idea for the September 11 car materialized, Barry created a tribute vehicle that honored military veterans, which was also used to transport children with terminal illnesses. But thoughts from 9/11 stayed with him through the years. “I wanted to honor those that we lost.”
Barry’s original plan was to decorate a motorcycle, but when that plan stalled, he decided to feature a car instead. Barry had always been enthralled with Ford Mustangs, so that model was an obvious choice. “I wanted the 9/11 car to be powerful,” he said. He bought a 2006 Mustang GT in Hanover in 2019.
Barry knew an airbrush artist named Kei Greene who had worked for NASCAR’s Richard Petty. Greene agreed to do the artwork for Barry’s car, and the team researched many elements of the September 11 tragedy, including the people, fire companies, and other historical events. Barry wanted the car to be authentic and reflect the unique individuals who lost their lives that day.
Other partners stepped in to help. BAPS Auto Paint and Supply in Chambersburg donated the paint for the vehicle. Keith Shue of Superior Collision Worx in East Berlin, PA, supervised the bodywork. The car’s fenders and body panels were removed so that Kei Designs could airbrush the artwork remotely.
The process took a year and a half and involved some challenges. Several times, Kei Greene was overcome with emotion and stopped painting. Barry and others encouraged him to finish the important work. “We told him, you have to finish this car. It was a tough mental challenge for Kei.” Once the artwork was completed, the team reassembled the vehicle.
Right away, Barry wanted to take the car to a special occasion. He drove the completed Mustang to the 20th September 11 commemoration in Shanksville, PA, in 2021. Details of the doomed Flight 93 are on Barry’s vehicle, and the Shanksville Fire Department that responded on 9/11/2001 escorted him to the site. “We wanted to be there for the families,” Barry said.
The finished vehicle has many intricate details. The artwork is masterful, with touching images of individuals who lost their lives that day. “These are pictures of real people,” Barry said. That includes the pilots of Flight 93, firefighters and first responders, and rescuers who later died from Ground Zero toxic exposure.
The September 11 tribute vehicle shows the timeline of the tragic events that day: at 8:46, New York’s North Tower of the World Trade Center is hit by a terrorist-controlled airplane. At 9:03, the South Tower is hit, followed by an attack on the Pentagon in Washington, DC, at 9:37 am. “It tells the whole story,” Barry said about the car’s exterior details.
National icons such as the Statue of Liberty and a bald eagle appear on the car’s hood. Saint Christopher and search-and-rescue dogs are also portrayed in the artwork. The term “Let’s Roll,” the rallying cry for passengers on Flight 93, is inscribed on the car, along with a picture of the passenger who uttered it: Todd Beamer.
On this red, white, and blue car, gold leaf paint sparkles in an outline of the New York skyline, a tear falls from a mourning woman’s face, and the car’s seat covers feature an illustration with the twin towers forming numerals for “9/11 Never Forget.”
Barry says the car elicits strong reactions from many who see it for the first time. “People walk up to the car, and then sometimes walk away; they get emotional.” Some have also knelt next to the car to say a prayer. “There’s a lot of sentiment wrapped up in that car.” The Mustang’s Pennsylvania license plate also grabs attention, reading: WTC 2001.
Even the owner feels an emotional pull when he gets behind the wheel. “When I drive that car, it feels like the people who passed away are riding with me.”
Barry doesn’t drive the Mustang every day; he saves it for special occasions. Though he’s shown it at a few car shows, it doesn’t compete for prizes. “This car wasn’t created to win trophies,” he said, “But there’s no other car like it.” The 20-year-old Mustang has 77,000 miles on the odometer. A ride in the vehicle has all the elements of a muscle-car experience, with a growling engine and horsepower that pushes you back into the passenger seat.
When 2026 arrived, Barry thought about the milestone year that September 11 would mark on the calendar. “It seems like yesterday, but 25 years have gone by. This year I want to keep the car in my hometown.” He contacted Waynesboro Mayor Dade Royer and inquired about a police escort through town on September 11.
Royer suggested they make it a bigger event. Barry was summoned to a borough government meeting and learned that officials wanted to sponsor a memorial procession that included local police, fire, and EMS vehicles and first responders.
“I give the mayor a lot of credit,” Barry said. “The procession is one thing I never expected.” The group of first responder vehicles will depart the Moose Club on Waynesboro’s west end at 8:46 on Friday, September 11, the same time the first tower was hit. They will proceed East down Main Street without stopping until the procession arrives at Red Run Park in Rouzerville. Barry’s memorial vehicle will ride second in line, behind a Waynesboro fire truck.
At 9:37, the same time the Pentagon was hit, a memorial ceremony will take place. The public is invited to witness the procession and take part in the Red Run Park ceremony. Barry hopes the procession will become a local September 11 tradition.
When asked about the future of his special car, Barry hopes it will someday be in a museum. The Flight 93 Museum is his first choice, but the current facility doesn’t have space for it.
Until the car’s permanent home is decided, Barry is considering another adventure. “I’ve thought about driving it across the United States.” But the logistics of that trip haven’t been worked out yet.
Steve Barry’s father was a military man who jumped out of airplanes while serving in the 82nd Airborne. While Steve’s health prevented him from serving in the military, he’s chosen a different path to honor and serve. He and his wife founded a Gettysburg charity that raises money for wounded warriors and other people in need.
Barry’s September 11 memorial car is another way he’s given back to the community. While commemorating the fallen on that horrific day a quarter-century ago, his vehicle honors the heroic deeds of first responders and remembers the tragic loss of American lives. Steve Barry placed his hand on the Mustang and bowed his head. “I don’t want people to forget.”
