Military

Tunnel to Towers: Fallen 9/11 Firefighter Gave Life to Brother’s Mission To Help Others

September 11, 2021Beth Bailey
Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller speaks at an event in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller speaks at an event in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

In November 2004, Marine Sgt. Brian Johnston was seated atop an Assault Amphibious Vehicle during the bloody second Battle of Fallujah when an improvised explosive device detonated. Shrapnel punctured the right side of his body, and Johnston could feel his leg bleeding and his arm “kind of hanging there.” He heard Marines yell for the corpsman. Another Marine dragged Johnston away from the vehicle, and the corpsman “went to work.”


The blast claimed Johnston’s right leg and right arm. He underwent 60 operations during the 20 months it took to adapt to his new life. 


“You just get up and start living your life,” Johnston told Coffee or Die Magazine of his recovery process.


Johnston is one of 53,300 American service members who have been grievously wounded in the Global War on Terror since 9/11, and he is one of the hundreds of veterans, first responders, or Gold Star family members whose lives have been vastly improved with support provided by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a nonprofit started in December 2001 to honor military members and first responders “who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country,” according to the organization’s website. 


Brian Johnston enlisted in the Marines in December 2001. Less than three years later, his vehicle was hit by an IED during his first deployment in Fallujah, Iraq. Photo courtesy of Brian Johnston.

Tunnel to Towers builds custom mortgage-free smart homes for eligible veterans who were catastrophically wounded during the course of their service. The nonprofit has also paid off mortgages or acquired new homes for the families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the Global War on Terror.


The foundation’s 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit has educated over 500,000 people about the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001. It also raises funds and spreads awareness of its cause through 5K events held across the country in its Run, Walk & Climb series.


Johnston received his smart home from Tunnel to Towers on Dec. 18, 2019. He said the open floor plan keeps him from “crashing into stuff,” and he appreciates being able to control his lighting and thermostat from his phone. The custom home simplified many everyday tasks for Johnston, including getting in and out of the house in a wheelchair, checking the mail, and using the bathroom.


“It was amazing,” he said. “It’s a beautiful house.”


tunnel to towers
Marine Corps veteran Brian Johnston stands in front of his new smart home from Tunnel to Towers at his dedication ceremony on Dec. 18, 2019. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

John Ponte, the director of Smart Homes for Tunnel to Towers, told Coffee or Die Magazine that each house features a large footprint with wide doorways and hallways that allow ease of access for wheelchair users. Accepted applicants choose their home’s location, pick a lot and one of four floor plans, determine which finishes and options suit them, and decide on several rooms of furniture.


Core Tunnel to Towers partners — including The Home Depot, GMC, Ashley Furniture, Bassett Furniture, MasterBrand, Carpet One, and API Group Inc. — are involved with every home construction. On occasion, local contractors have donated their services to include extra features and goods, like pools or power tools.


Through every smart home, Tunnel to Towers aims to create a dwelling that gives a veteran greater independence and quality of life. By the end of 2021, the foundation will have provided 450 mortgage-free homes to veterans, Gold Star families, and the families of fallen first responders.


Tunnel to Towers was founded in December 2001 by Frank Siller to honor his brother, a New York City firefighter who gave his life on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.


Tunnel to Towers
Stephen Gerard Siller served with FDNY Squad 1, in Brooklyn, New York. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

Stephen Gerard Siller had reached the end of his shift in Brooklyn when the 34-year-old father of five heard urgent chatter from his truck’s scanner about a plane hitting the World Trade Center’s north tower. He called his wife to let her know he had to go back to work. 


As he headed toward the towers, Siller found the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel was closed, so he left his truck, strapped on 60 pounds of cumbersome gear, and ran toward the chaos. He was one of 343 FDNY firefighters who gave their lives on 9/11 and one of 60 who perished while off duty. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is named for Stephen Siller’s selfless initiative that day. 


“[Stephen] grew up under the guiding philosophy of St. Francis of Assisi, whose encouraging and inspirational phrase ‘while we have time, let us do good’ were words that Stephen lived by,” according to Tunnel to Towers’ website. 


Frank Siller, left, and Stephen Siller, third from left, stand with their siblings. Photo courtesy of Frank Siller.

In 2012, Army Spc. “Bo” Jones deployed with the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to Afghanistan. 


On Feb. 7, 2012, as Jones’ squad approached a grape row, an IED exploded, sending Jones flipping through the air and into a well. He fell about 15 feet and was “split […] in half up to my sternum,” Jones told Coffee or Die Magazine


The attack took both Jones’ legs and nearly tore his left arm off. He spent around three and a half years recovering, enduring countless complex surgeries. Often, he says, “four or five surgeons [were] working on [him] at once.” He still has enduring issues with his left arm. 


A 2012 IED blast took both legs of Army Spc. “Bo” Jones and nearly tore his left arm off. It took Jones three and a half years to recover. Photo courtesy of Bo Jones/Facebook.

On Nov. 24, 2020, Tunnel to Towers welcomed Jones into his new custom home. The Army veteran is effusive about the many custom features, including a shower so large he “could take a nap in it,” a lowered stove that allows him to cook without burning himself, and even the fancy bidet toilets, which “make life easy.”


All of these features add up to independence. After his most recent surgery, Jones was not allowed to bear weight on his injured arm. 


“In a normal house, I would have been up a creek without a paddle,” he said. “But because this house is adapted, I was actually able to recover mostly by myself with only one arm.”


tunnel to towers
Army veteran “Bo” Jones poses in front of his new smart home custom-built by Tunnel to Towers on Nov. 24, 2020. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

After medically retiring from the Army in 2015, Jones followed his love for motorcycles and passion for “building and tinkering” to welding school. Now he builds custom wheelchairs for Box Wheelchairs and uses his skills to give back to loved ones. He displays his welding work on Instagram, where he goes by notoes0207.


His new home also features a welding workshop, which Jones likens to having an “on-call psychologist” because welding is “therapeutic.” He’s now working on a side business doing metal fabrication.


tunnel to towers
Army veteran “Bo” Jones said his new workshop gives him a place to clear his head and focus. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers.

After being wounded in Afghanistan, Jones dreamed of owning property where he could dove hunt and raise animals. Jones said Tunnel to Towers fulfilled that dream.


“They gave me paradise,” he said.


On this 20th anniversary of 9/11, Frank Siller concludes his Never Forget Walk — a 500-mile trek from Arlington County Fire Station 5 to the site of ground zero in New York. Starting Aug. 1, Siller then passed through six states, making stops at the Pentagon and the field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed.


Siller made the walk to honor the first responders who died on 9/11, and he carried with him the many stories of the wounded warriors, first responders, and Gold Star families whom he and Tunnel to Towers have helped in the 20 years since the towers fell.


Read Next: An FBI Special Agent’s Unforgettable Journey to the Pentagon on 9/11



Beth Bailey
Beth Bailey

Beth Bailey is a former Army civilian intelligence analyst turned storyteller. She uses writing to address America’s military-civilian divide and celebrate veterans and service members. Having worked with the Justice Department to build extradition cases against Nazis living in the US, Beth is also a passionate advocate for Holocaust education and for fighting resurgent antisemitism. As a stay-at-home mom, she is fueled by caffeine, long runs, and dark beer. You can find her work in the Washington Examiner, The Federalist, the Detroit News, and on Medium.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Coffee Or Die Photo
From the Team Room to Team Room Design: An Operator’s Creative Journey

BRCC partners with Team Room Design for an exclusive T-shirt release!

Coffee Or Die Photo
Get Your Viking On: The Exclusive 30 Sec Out BRCC Shirt Club Design

Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.

Grizzly Forge BRCC shirt
Limited Edition: Grizzly Forge Blades on an Awesome BRCC Shirt

Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.

BRCC Limited Edition Josh Raulerson Blackbeard Skull Shirt
From Naval Service to Creative Canvas: BRCC Veteran Artist Josh Raulerson

Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.

Medal of Honor is held up.
Biden Will Award Medal of Honor to Army Helicopter Pilot Who Rescued Soldiers in Vietnam Firefight

Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2024 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved