Tonight, 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels will be part of a Fox News Channel report about the official 9/11 Medal.  The U.S. Mint will strike 2 million silver medals to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a portion of the proceeds going to support operations of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center.  

The medal will be available in late summer.  Click here now to sign up for the 9/11 Memorial to notify you when the official medal is available to you, your family and friends.

The broadcast is part of Fox's Rise of Freedom series hosted by veteran anchor Shepard Smith.  If you miss the show, don't worry.  After it airs, you can view it on the MEMO blog or visit FoxNews.com.

Updated:  Read a blog post from Fox News' Kathleen Foster on a company trying to capitalize on a "bogus" WTC coin, while the offical 9/11 medal is being developed.

Also from FoxNews.com:  To see the latest segment in the "Rise of Freedom" series, tune into Fox Report with Shepard Smith, tonight, at 7 p.m. EDT. You can also catch up on all our segments by going to www.foxnews.com/freedom. To learn more about the U.S. Mint's official 9/11 10th anniversary medal, visit www.national911memorial.org/. Enter your e-mail address to receive an alert when the medal is available for purchase.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Capt. Patrick J. Brown of  New York City’s fire department  was a remarkable man.  So intriguing, Sharon Watts, his former fiancée, decided to chronicle his heroism and charming idiosyncrasies after his death on Sept. 11. Armed with personal stories from friends and family members, Sharon was able to paint a vibrant picture of a hero lost, but not forgotten. Watts will sign copies of  her book work, “Miss You, Pat,” on Feb. 5, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, 20 Vesey St. 

By Norm Dannen, Public Affairs Associate

Volunteer firefighters in York County, S.C., plan to build a public memorial with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, according to The Herald.

According to the report, the Bethesda Volunteer Fire Department has been approved to receive a steel beam retrieved from the wreckage of the fallen twin towers. The community, which is about 180 miles southwest of Durham, joins other municipalities across the country that have requested the steel from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

"The beam - categorized among the thousands of huge and small pieces of steel at JFK Airport Hangar 17 as 'H-90' - is 14-feet long, an inch thick, 16 inches wide, 34 inches tall and weighs almost two tons" or more than 4,000 pounds, the report said.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Arkansas native Sara Low, 28, had logged only a few years as a flight attendant before boarding California-bound Flight 11 in Boston’s Logan Airport in the early morning hours of Sept. 11, 2001. After terrorists seized control of American Airlines Flight 11, authorities believe that Sara gave her telephone calling card to fellow flight attendant, Madeline Amy Sweeney, who used an “airfone” to relay critical information to the ground.

Karyn Ramsey, who was Sara’s roommate in Boston and a newly minted American Airlines employee, attended the Sept. 15 memorial service in Batesville, Ark.. Following the service, a group accompanied the grieving Low family to their home. Sara’s father, Mike Low, told the group about the pride he felt in Sara’s wings, which recognized her training, qualifications and length of service, cut short by her tragic death. In a gesture of compassion, Karyn detached the wings from her own uniform and pinned them on Sara’s father.

After Sara’s death, Mike developed a drive to do positive things in her name. He asked a friend at the Pentagon to help him send Karyn’s wings to the accelerating U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan.  Soon, Staff Sgt. Mark Baker, a member of the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers, had the privilege of pinning Karyn’s wings to his uniform. They were worn by Sgt. Baker under enemy fire in Operation Enduring Freedom. 

On May 21, 2002, the Night Stalkers presented the wings back to Mike in a ceremony held at Ft. Campbell, Ky. home of the 160th Special Operations Regiment.  After the ceremony, Sgt. Baker remarked that although he was often too preoccupied to think about the wings during a mission, they were inspirational to the entire crew whenever their helicopters took off or landed.  Believing that it was time to restore the wings to their rightful owner, Mike first had his daughter’s name and the words “Afghan War” engraved on the back of the pin and then returned them to Karyn, reluctantly but with deep appreciation.  Encouraged and supported by the Low family, Karyn recently donated the wings to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in honor of her friend and brave colleague, Sara. 

By Jan Ramirez, Chief Curator of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

Alexandra Drakakis, Administrative Curatorial Assistant for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum contributed.

The view–gorgeous.  The pizza—divine.  Take a moment and stop by the Merchants River House. If you are looking for casual ambiance, American fare, and a view you can show off to your visiting mother-in-law, Merchants River House is your place. Formerly known as Steamers Landing, the Merchants River House caters to a crowd less interested in endless seafood and more interested in making their dollar go the extra mile.  The prices have dropped, but the quality remains, the Downtown Express reports.

We’d like to thank Merchants Hospitality, Merchants River House, and the entire family of Merchant restaurants for joining Signs of Support, rallying around a cause so vital to New York and the nation. Join us in recognizing Merchants Hospitality as an avid supporter of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

 Merchants River House is open Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.,  and from 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

By Norm Dannen, Public Affairs Associate

‘Rebirth’ premiered Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The documentary chronicles the lives of five individuals who suffered a loss and were deeply affected by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. 

Now, for the first time, the world can see what the 9/11 Memorial staff has known for quite some time - that the talented efforts of the Project Rebirth team--including Jim Whitaker, the organization's President, Founder and Director; Brian Rafferty, Board Chairman; and Caitlin Olson, Executive Director--created a film that speaks passionately for what it means to survive and rebuild and teaches us all about strength and resilience.     

 The film has received well-deserved accolades and I invite you to read a review here in the Los Angeles Times. 

 The 9/11 Memorial is proud to have Project Rebirth as an official partner, and to be working with Jim, Brian, and Caitlin to use the film within the museum's exhibitions. Congratulations to the Rebirth team.

Joe Daniels, 9/11 Memorial President

The 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks will be rife with emotion. It will be a time to reflect, process, and learn from the events of the day. New Jersey educators plan to seize on this moment by educating their pupils with a 9/11 curriculum that is both probing and in-depth.

With the lesson plans nearly complete, a group of the educators recently journeyed to the 9/11 Memorial to find a missing piece: collections from the 9/11 Museum.

New Jersey teachers hope to enhance their materials with recorded survivors’ stories and artifacts, NJ Spotlight reports.  Jan Ramirez, Chief Curator of the Museum, believes in the power of these items. "Some of these materials are really hard to absorb because of the context, but it seems for young people, who maybe are more used to violent images, it is a way for them to connect with the stories," she said in the online report.

The curriculum, "Learning from the Challenges of Our Time: Global Security, Terrorism, and 9/11 in the Classroom,” will be accessed online and house over 100 lesson plans.

By Norm Dannen, Public Affairs Associate

"The Daily Show" host John Stewart was appointed today to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum's board of directors.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who's chairman of the board, introduced Stewart to the now 48-member board during its quarterly meeting. Stewart thank the mayor, the board and said he would do whatever he could do to help.  

As host of the Emmy-award winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, Stewart, a lower Manhattan resident, has long been a voice on 9/11-related matters.

Update: “Luckily for me, it appears as if they’ve done 95 percent of the hard labor on this. So I’m hoping to help in any way I can offer,” Stewart said in a New York Times article.  

Read more about Jon Stewart's appointment to the board in a web-exclusive by DNAinfo.com's Julie Shapiro.

In early September 2010, Bloomberg hosted Stewart at the memorial and museum’s annual benefit dinner in lower Manhattan, where Stewart served as master of ceremonies.

Days after the 2001 attacks, Stewart had a memorable TV moment, mixing measured whit with emotional commentary in the opening of his show.  In recent months, he gained national attention and praise for his passionate work in dedicating a broadcast to the 9/11 health bill, which President Obama signed into law earlier this month.    

Stewart began hosting “The Daily Show” in 1999.  Since his arrival, the satire news show has received 36 Emmy Award nominations and won 14 times. Stewart, who is executive producer and writer as well as host, received five Emmy nominations from 2002 to 2008. The show was honored in 2004 by the Television Critics Association by winning Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, edging out traditional news shows in the category.

Stewart joins a board with members who have a life in media and entertainment, including Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal and Jane Rosenthal. The board of directors include victims’ family members, 9/11 survivors, business pioneers and leading philanthropists.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

The 9/11 documentary “Project Rebirth”  has made a splash at the Sundance Film Festival. Veteran news anchor Shep Smith reports on the film in the latest broadcast in the Fox News series, Rise of Freedom.  

An exclusive segment of the film can be seen now at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site , on 20 Vesey St. between Church Street and Broadway.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

On Aug. 6 2010, President Obama signed into law the National September 11th Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act, authorizing the United States Mint to strike 2 million silver medals to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Championed by Rep. Jerry Nadler, whose congressional district includes the World Trade Center site, and Sen. Chuck Schumer of NY, the legislation aims to be “emblematic of the courage, sacrifice, and strength of those individuals who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the bravery of those who risked their lives to save others that day, and the endurance, resilience, and hope of those who survived,” according to the bill.   Members of Congress ensured that it quickly reach the president’s desk before the August recess by securing unanimous consent in the Senate and obtaining 314 cosponsors in the House.

Yesterday,  Nadler and  Schumer held a news conference,  calling for a crackdown on  The National Collectors’ Mint, a manufacture producing a phony  coin that will not support the National September 11 Memorial & Museum,  CBSNews NY reports.

The design of the official medal will be selected by the U.S. Treasury Secretary in consultation with the memorial  and museum and the U. S. Mint. Each medal will be inscribed with the years “2001-2011” and the phrase “Always Remember.”  The medal will help support the maintenance and operation of the memorial and museum. 

By Norm Dannen, Public Affairs Associate