“We will never forget the heroes that willingly sacrificed their lives. Their efforts have ever forever forged a shield of protection for us all.”

Bruce Schmutter, who volunteered at the World Trade Center site, shares those feelings about Sept. 11 as he tours the country with a special shield to honor the heroes who never returned home after their shift.

He's proud to share how his dream became the United Responder Shield.

“In Jewish heritage, every number has a meaning and 18 is Chai. That means life. So, we made the helmet one life tall by two lives wide because every responder was born to save another. After, we did the helmet, which was in mother of pearl and other precious stones and glass from Spain."

It was important that law enforcement officers who perished that day also be recognized so the helmet was placed into a star, typically worn by a deputy.

The shield, made of epoxy resin-based terrazzo, is 7 1/2 feet in diameter and weighs about 300 pounds. It sits on a stainless-steel base and lives on a special dolly that makes it easy to move, Schmutter explained to Firehouse.

Terrazzo Master Allen Sedaka created and brought the shield to life based on the Brooklyn resident's vision.

“I'm looking at different things. And I saw that we had inadvertently recreated Captain America. And that felt good."

The day after the World Trade Center collapsed, Schmutter showed up to volunteer. Day after day, for months he went to local restaurants and purchased food and served it while witnessing the exhausted determination and tears of firefighters.

"And then I started to see the inner purpose. So, there was a lot of divine intervention…Unstoppable. As a human species, we're unstoppable.”

He was one who was unstoppable as well as. Since then, he has battled cancer that he was diagnosed with from his work at the World Trade Center. But, he doesn't dwell on his illness as he continues his mission of educating others.

Schmutter said it’s vital that people hear what happened on Sept. 11 and hear about the people who stepped out of their comfort zones to make a difference.

And that’s just what he’s been doing on the URS 250 Tour. Among the stops so far include Wichita,KS; Indianapolis, Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City, the NFPA Conference in Las Vegas, the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense in Virginia and Nashville.

The visit to the Hall of Flame in Phoenix was the most south-western destination on the 2,400-mile journey from the shield's home in New York City.

Jason Gorski, a member of United Communities Volunteer Fire Department in Romancoke, MD, volunteered and drove his truck to transport the shield across the country.

Schmutter added his slogan, “I stand for heroes, so they can stand for us all," is being embraced by the younger generation. And, he hopes one day to share it on a children's TV show.

In August, they will be at a ceremony in Shanksville where Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11.

Upcoming events include:

• Aug. 7 - Flight 93 Memorial, Shanksville, PA
• Aug. 8 - Western Pennsylvania Fire Convention, Somerset, PA
• Sept. 4-5 - Pentagon Memorial, Arlington, VA
• Sept. 8-10 - Voices for Reilience, New York City 
• Sept. 11 - 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York City
• Dec. 12 - Army-Navy game, MetLife Field in Rutherford, NJ
• Dec. 14 - Sandy Hook Memorial, Newton, CT

More information is available on the tour website.