Bracelet
Photo credit: Michael Hnatov
Accession Number: C.2015.149.3
Dimensions: 0.75 in X 2.125 in X 2.625 in
Dimensions (Metric): 1.905 cm X 5.3975 cm X 6.6675 cm
Dimensions (Metric): 1.905 cm X 5.3975 cm X 6.6675 cm
Source: Tanya Villanueva Tepper
Credit Line: Gift of the Villanueva family in memory of Sergio Gabriel Villanueva
Description
Metal memorial bracelet, in red, created in memory of the members of the FDNY lost on 9/11, including Sergio Gabriel Villanueva. The bracelet is engraved: "In Memory of Our Heroes Who Sacrificed So Much | 9-11-01 FDNY." A small image of a fire helmet is printed to the left of the text.
Metal memorial bracelet, in red, created in memory of the members of the FDNY lost on 9/11, including Sergio Gabriel Villanueva. The bracelet is engraved: "In Memory of Our Heroes Who Sacrificed So Much | 9-11-01 FDNY." A small image of a fire helmet is printed to the left of the text.
Historical Notes
Born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, Sergio Villanueva came to the United States in 1970. He lived in Flushing, Queens, with his fiancée, Tanya. Sergio cheered for Argentina’s soccer team and played on an FDNY team. Before joining the Fire Department in 2000, he had worked as an NYPD officer. On September 11, Firefighter Villanueva responded to the towers with Ladder Company 132. He was 33 years old.
Born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, Sergio Villanueva came to the United States in 1970. He lived in Flushing, Queens, with his fiancée, Tanya. Sergio cheered for Argentina’s soccer team and played on an FDNY team. Before joining the Fire Department in 2000, he had worked as an NYPD officer. On September 11, Firefighter Villanueva responded to the towers with Ladder Company 132. He was 33 years old.
Curator's Comment
Building on a tradition begun during the Vietnam War era to remember American prisoners of war and those missing in action, bracelets bearing the names of victims emerged after 9/11 as a way to honor those killed in the attacks. Some bracelets also bear personal inscriptions and images, including the American flag, the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and insignia reflecting a victim’s status as a first responder. Whether worn by relatives and friends of the victim or by empathetic strangers, 9/11 memorial bracelets created an intimate connection to individual victims while also communicating a shared sense of loss and compassion.
HIDE
Building on a tradition begun during the Vietnam War era to remember American prisoners of war and those missing in action, bracelets bearing the names of victims emerged after 9/11 as a way to honor those killed in the attacks. Some bracelets also bear personal inscriptions and images, including the American flag, the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and insignia reflecting a victim’s status as a first responder. Whether worn by relatives and friends of the victim or by empathetic strangers, 9/11 memorial bracelets created an intimate connection to individual victims while also communicating a shared sense of loss and compassion.
HIDE
