On the afternoon of September 11, 2001, FDNY Firefighter Dan McWilliams spotted a flag on a yacht—the Star of America, owned by Spiros Kopelakis and Shirley Dreifus—docked at a marina near the World Trade Center site. McWilliams, along with FDNY Firefighters Billy Eisengrein and George Johnson, raised the flag on a 20-foot pile of debris on the site near West Street. The flag-raising lifted the spirits of rescue workers.
In 2003, the Fire Department of New York distributed medals to their members in recognition of the heroism they demonstrated on and after September 11. This medal honors individuals who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero and features an embossed image of the iconic flag-raising.