It's a figurative chain of freedom, and possibly the most unusual 9/11 tribute yet -- 911 one-dollar bills folded and tucked to form rings, linked together.
Ben Barnes, 75, of New Hope is the lord of the rings who says he spent nearly five years folding hundreds of $1 bills 12 times each -- a chain reaction to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But the genesis of this 54-foot "In God We Trust 9/11" chain of rings was born 40 years before the Twin Towers collapsed.
In a bar.
Barnes says he spent years working in Golden Valley as a mixologist -- or bartender, if you're on the other side of the counter. A customer, with time on his hands and money literally at his fingertips, would sit at the bar, transforming $1 bills into rings.
Each ring was perfect -- firm enough to wear on your finger with the "1" always face up, shining like a stone.
Barnes knew a few tricks himself. If you're foolish enough to bite and hand him a dollar bill, he'll ask you what dairy product and famous movie are closely associated with George Washington.
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“I did what I could when money was available,” Ben Barnes said of his project.
Then he'll take your dollar, rip it into two, toss the pieces in the air and answer, "half-and-half and 'Gone With the Wind.'"
Paying the price
But the ring trick was a new one for Barnes, who just had to know the bar patron's secret.
This wasn't play money. This lesson would be costly.
"I gave the guy $20 to learn his trick," Barnes recalled. "That was 25 percent of my wages."
Barnes learned the dozen folds it took to make the ring, and how to tuck folds beneath others with the help of a car key. He also learned that not all dollar bills are of equal value. Brand new bills were too stiff, overly wrinkled bills too flimsy and torn bills impossible.
"The old $50 bills made a beautiful ring," said Cleone Barnes, 70, a woman with apparent expensive tastes and a strong tolerance for one man's obsessions. After 44 years of marriage -- and more rings than Saturn -- Cleone merely rolls her eyes and sighs.
"He's been doing this for a long time," she says, with the indifference of a woman who can't be bribed by a ring, no matter how many $1 bills it took to create.
"You have no idea how many $1 bills this chain took," she said. "He'd notice the slightest tear and say, 'No, can't use this.' Or they'd be so firm, his fingers would ache and he'd have to stop after a few hours."
Ben, who has also made a rocking chair and bench for his grandchildren's tiny stuffed animals out of clothespins, made a 25th wedding anniversary gift for friends, transforming 25 $1 bills into a necklace made out of rings.
And then came 9/11. He would make a chain of 911 $1 bills. The serial number of the first bill would end in 011. The serial number of the last bill would begin 911.
"I thought he was out of his mind when he started this," Cleone says.
"I did what I could when money was available," counters Ben.
His masterpiece now sits in a vault, to be viewed on special occasions, though he doesn't have any set plans for the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Ben still offers newlyweds two $1 bill rings and hopes to pass the secret of his craft to his seven grandchildren.
There's lots for them to learn from his days behind the bar. If they don't impress -- or lose -- friends by ripping $1 bills in half, he has another trick to get them through life.
Says Ben: "I can balance a spoon and fork on the end of a glass."
Paul Levy • 612-673-4419
FAQs
Ben Barnes, 75, learned to make rings out of dollar bills years ago. He's made a chain of 911 of them to mark 9/11.
What memorials were created in honor of 9 11? ›
See also
- 9/11 Tribute Museum (9/11 Tribute Center), an online museum.
- Flight 93 National Memorial.
- National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
- Pentagon Memorial.
- World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition.
September 11 attacks. The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States of America in 2001. That morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners scheduled to travel from the East Coast to California.
What is the explanation of the 9 11 Memorial? ›
The Memorial and the Museum provide places of reflection and remembrance. They are designed to help those who were most affected by the attacks to heal—and those with no memory of the attacks to understand losses that will forever be incomprehensible.
What was the reason for the 9/11 attack? ›
Al-Qaeda hoped that, by attacking these symbols of American power, they would promote widespread fear throughout the country and severely weaken the United States' standing in the world community, ultimately supporting their political and religious goals in the Middle East and Muslim world.
What happened to the guy that jumped into the 911 memorial? ›
The man, who was not named, was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries to his left leg and back. Charges, which may include trespassing, have yet to be filed. He was described as an “apparently emotionally disturbed person,” a Port Authority spokesperson told NBC.
Where are 9/11 remains kept? ›
A repository for the remains of 9/11 victims under the jurisdiction of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York (OCME) is located at bedrock at the World Trade Center site.
What was the worst day in history of 9 11? ›
On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the homeland in our nation's history.
How many 9/11 jumpers survive? ›
Did any of the people who jumped from The World Trade Center towers survive? No. Those who fell were from the floors above the impact, and it was just too high up. The human body can't take that kind of impact.
Did anyone survive 911? ›
Everyone on the 91st floor lived. When a second jet hit the south tower 16 1⁄2 minutes later, the pattern was virtually the same. In each tower, 99% of the occupants below the crash survived. At the impact area and above, survival was limited to just a handful of people in the south tower who made an amazing escape.
The 9/11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance, honoring the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993.
How deep is the 911 Memorial Pool? ›
Measuring close to an acre each and 45 feet in depth, the pools serve as the base of North America's largest manmade waterfalls. Every minute, 50,000 gallons of recycled water slowly surge over the lip of the waterfall ledge creating sheets of cascading water.
What are some fun facts about the 9 11 Memorial? ›
More than 400 swamp white oak trees fill the Memorial plaza around the pools. This hardy species of tree is native to the areas of all three 9/11 crash sites: New York City; Arlington, Virginia; and Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The Memorial plaza also includes one Callery pear tree.
What happened on 9/11 Kid Friendly? ›
On that date, a group of nineteen men crashed two airplanes into the Twin Towers and one into the Pentagon outside of Washington DC. The men tried to crash a fourth plane into another building, but the passengers fought back and the plane crashed into an empty field in Pennsylvania.
How did 9/11 affect the world? ›
Event Summary. The United States' response to the 9-11 attack, namely the invasion of Afghanistan, had a deeply destabilizing impact on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In addition to ushering in war and instability, U.S. post-war policies sparked a strong wave of anti-Americanism across MENA.
What exactly happened on September 11th? ›
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 people were killed in the deadliest terrorist attacks in American history. The moment shocked the nation. Two planes, hijacked by Islamic jihadists vowing death to all Americans, plowed into both towers at the World Trade Center in New York.
Who does the 9/11 Memorial honor? ›
The 9/11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance, honoring the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993.
What is the 9 11 angel memorial? ›
From the right angle, construction workers at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at New York's ground zero can make out a sad-looking face that's been dubbed the "Angel of 9/11," seemingly emerging from the twisted steel of a girder that was hit by the first hijacked plane.
How many names does the 9 11 memorial have? ›
These are the nearly 3,000 names as they appear inscribed in bronze on the Memorial. Every name can be located by the panel on which it is inscribed. A panel address is comprised of the letter N or S (N for north pool, S for south pool) followed by a number 1 through 76.
When was the first 9 11 memorial? ›
The Memorial opened on September 11, 2011, 10 years after the 9/11 attacks.
