Did you know that J-R has a physical presence at the 9/11 Memorial? It all started when Robert Zack, a New York minister, had the idea to honor J-R by purchasing memorial cobblestones in J-R’s name. Joan Beisel organized a fund raising effort among East Coast ministers that yielded $5,000 to get nine cobblestones and a paver. Robert also put together a leather-bound book and presented it to J-R in honor of this project.

Kiosks at the Memorial site allow visitors to locate the cobblestone(s) honoring their loved one. The cobblestones themselves are not inscribed. However, for each of J-R’s nine stones, the kiosk will list his name and one of his quotes. If you are unable to visit the memorial site, you can also go online to see J-R’s name listed as “John-Roger” under the list of donors at here .

If anyone would like to contribute additional cobblestones in J-R’s name just click here for instructions. We can’t have too much J-R holy ground!

Another thing you may not know is that J-R visited the site immediately after the 9/11 attacks and placed light columns there. The New York community has continued to refresh and add to these columns over the years. Feel free to send your light to add to these columns from far and near as well.

WHAT YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW TO VISIT THE 9/11 MEMORIAL:

The National September 11 Memorial is part of the World Trade Center redevelopment master plan designed by Daniel Libeskind. Reconstruction of the entire site will near completion around 2014. The memorial is located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex, and occupies approximately half of the 16-acre site. It is now open to the public however, reservations are required and must be made for a specific date and time to obtain a visitor pass. Reservations become available six months in advance and requests are considered for up to two weeks before the visit. Visitor passes are free and available through the Memorial’s online reservation system here. Same-day passes are limited to 4 passes per person on a first-come, first-served basis. The 9/11 Memorial is meant to be experienced at all times of the day, so you might want to consider both day and evening hours when reserving your visitor pass.

Some interesting facts about the World Trade Center Memorial

THE REFLECTING POOLS

The names of the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorist attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the Memorial pools. They serve as a powerful reminder of the largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil and the greatest single loss of rescue personnel in American history. The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The pools sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood.

THE CROSS

The intersecting steel beam that came to be known as the World Trade Center Cross is located in the 9/11 Memorial Museum. This 17-foot-tall cross became an icon of hope and comfort throughout the recovery effort in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The cross served as a symbol of hope to many of the workers and heroes involved in the days following 9/11.”

THE TREES

More than 400 trees create a rustling canopy of leaves over the plaza which surrounds the Memorial’s two reflecting pools. The plaza is designed to convey a spirit of hope and renewal, and creates a contemplative space separate from the usual sights and sounds of the city. Designers of the plaza chose swamp white oak trees because of their durability and leaf color. The trees are expected to reach heights as tall as 60 feet. Known to grow at different heights and changing their leaf colors at different times, these trees will serve as a physical reminder that they are living individuals.

THE SURVIVOR TREE

There is a tree which was originally planted in the World Trade Center plaza that survived the Sept. 11 terror strikes and has come to be revered as “the stalwart pear.” After being removed from the site to be nursed back to health, the Survivor Tree is now in the 9/11 Memorial Glade, which is a clearing in the grove of trees that surround the Memorial.

THE TRIDENTS

The entrance to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, a large pavilion with a glass atrium, houses two enormous tridents within its glass atrium. The tridents are artifacts from the steel façade of the original 1 WTC, also known as the North Tower. These majestic tridents are visible from the plaza while the Memorial Museum is still under construction. The pavilion will open to the public in 2012.