Naperville in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial

Freedom Isn't Free

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

1. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial Marker

Inscription. The memorial includes two plaques on its river (north) side, one with a description of the memorial and another dedicated to Naperville native Dan Shanower.

[Plaque on the left:]
This memorial is dedicated to the more than 3,000 people who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. Two hijacked airliners brought down the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City. A third hit The Pentagon. The fourth, whose target is unknown, crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers rose up against the terrorists. The memorial sculpture contains a beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, fragments from the facade of The Pentagon, and granite from Pennsylvania symbolizing the freedom fighters of Flight 93. Incised into the surface of the granite are the insignias of the brave New York City rescue workers and a print of the boot of Commander Dan Shanower, a Naperville native who died in the Pentagon attack.

[Plaque on the right:]
In memory of Commander Dan F. Shanower and the thousands of others who died in the attack on America on September 11, 2001.
Dan Shanower grew up in Naperville, attended District

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203 schools and graduated from Naperville Central High School in 1979. He was commissioned a naval officer in 1985. He was killed at his Pentagon post, serving as chief of the Intelligence Plot for the Chief of U.S. Naval Operations.

These are his words: "Those of us in the military are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice when called the military loses scores of personnel every year...Each one risked and lost his or her life in something they believed in, leaving behind friends, family and shipmates to bear the burden and celebrate their devotion to our country... Freedom isn't free." (Naval Institute Proceedings, May 1997)

Erected 2003 by City of Naperville.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: 9/11 Attacks • Disasters • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the World Trade Center Beams series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 11, 2001.

Location. 41° 46.277′ N, 88° 9.135′ W. Memorial is in Naperville, Illinois, in DuPage County. It can be reached from Eagle Street 0.1 miles north of Aurora Avenue, on the right when traveling

Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

2. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial plaque

north. The memorial is on the Naperville Riverwalk, just north of the city's municipal complex. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 400 South Eagle Street, Naperville IL, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Riverwalk Amphitheater (within shouting distance of this marker); Steve Chirico (within shouting distance of this marker); Farmers Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Grassroots Overlook (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Host to New Paths (about 300 feet away); Dick Tracy (about 300 feet away); Naperville (about 400 feet away); Riverwalk Visionaries (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Naperville.

More about this memorial.

"Freedom isn't free": Dan Shanower plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

3. "Freedom isn't free": Dan Shanower plaque

As stated on the plaque, the memorial includes a beam from the World Trade Center, fragments of the Pentagon and granite from Pennsylvania. Behind it is a "wall of faces," with 140 faces designed by local schoolchildren in honor of those who lost their lives on September 11. A marble bench near the memorial is inscribed "Freedom Isn't Free," a reference to Dan Shanower's 1997 essay, which is quoted on the plaque related to his death.

Regarding Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial. Naperville native Dan Shanower was a naval intelligence officer who died when hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. He was 40 years old. According to his 2001 obituary in the Chicago Tribune, Commander Shanower oversaw a team of 30 intelligence gathers and was in charge of delivering daily intelligence briefings to the Secretary of the Navy and other naval leaders. “He was one of our very best young officers with unlimited potential,” Shanower's supervisor, Rear Adm. Rick Porterfield, told the newspaper.

In addition to this memorial on Naperville's Riverwalk and his memorial bench at the Pentagon

9/11 Memorial "Wall of Faces" and eternal flame image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

4. 9/11 Memorial "Wall of Faces" and eternal flame

Naperville schoolchildren created this mural of about 140 faces, which are intended to symbolize the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. The notch in the panels to the left of center has an eternal flame.

on the site of the plane crash, the softball field at North Central College in Naperville (where Shanower's father was a professor) is named after the Shanower family and dedicated to Dan. He is also listed on the Naperville Veterans Memorial, across the river from this 9/11 memorial. And in 2023, Shanower's college alma mater, Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, rededicated its new Veterans House in honor of Shanower.

Also see . . .
1. Pentagon 9/11 Memorial: Cdr. Dan F. Shanower, U.S. Navy.

Excerpt: "Dan was known for his ready smile, terrific sense of humor, love of conversation, ability to tell a story, love of politics, and his intellectual and cultural curiosity about the world. He loved the sea, sailing, scuba diving, water skiing, and above all else, his family, friends and the Navy. He enjoyed writing both fiction and non-fiction, and many of his opinion essays and articles were published in the United States Naval Institute Proceedings, including the poignant May 1997 one entitled, 'Freedom Isn’t Free.' His article reflected on the loss of his shipmates in 1987, and he wrote:

“'Those of us in the military
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

5. Commander Dan Shanower
This photo is a close-up of the photo of Shanower on his plaque at Naperville's 9/11 memorial. Shanower, a 1979 graduate of Naperville Central High School, died on September 11, 2001, when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon.
are expected to make the ultimate sacrifice when called. The military loses scores of personnel each year. Each one risked and lost his or her life in something they believed in, leaving behind family and shipmates to bear the burden and celebrate their devotion to our country… They knew the risks they were taking and gave their lives for something bigger than themselves.'”

(Submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial.

Excerpt: "Naperville was one of the first cities in America to dedicate a memorial to those who died in the September 11, 2001, attacks on America. The memorial was inspired by Naperville native Naval Commander Dan Shanower, who died in the attack on the Pentagon. Dedicated on September 11, 2003, the memorial is nestled between the DuPage River and the Naperville Municipal Center."

(Submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

3. Lifting the shroud; Thousands come to mourn loss, see memorial unveiled. A reprint of the 2003 article in the Naperville Sun about the memorial's dedication.

Excerpt:
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

6. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial
The memorial includes a piece of twisted metal salvaged from the World Trade Center, pieces of the Pentagon and Pennsylvania granite from near the site of Flight 93's crash. On the left side of the Wall of Faces in the background is an eternal flame. The flag in the background adorns the Naperville municipal complex and overlooks Jaycees Park.
"Shanower's mother, Pat, said the memorial is yet another way the community has shown its support for her family during this difficult time. 'This place represents pain but also triumph and celebration,' she said. 'Today is a celebration of things our son believed in, first of all, in freedom.'"

(Submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn

7. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial

There are two plaques on the Wall of Faces, one a reprinting of a Naperville city declaration about the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and one related to the memorial's 2003 dedication on the city's riverwalk.

September 11 Memorial "Wall of Faces" image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

8. September 11 Memorial "Wall of Faces"

Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial, view from across the river image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 12, 2025

9. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial, view from across the river

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

10. Commander Dan Shanower September 11 Memorial

A view of the memorial with the West Branch of the DuPage River through downtown Naperville in the background

Freedom Shrine image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

11. Freedom Shrine

This Freedom Shrine is behind the 9/11 Memorial, on the side of the Naperville municipal building. It features copies of important documents in America's history.

West Branch of the DuPage River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 15, 2024

12. West Branch of the DuPage River

This east-facing view shows the river running low beneath the covered pedestrian bridge during a long dry stretch in late summer 2024. On the left (north) is the Millennium Wall; visible on the right (south) is the flagpole that is part of the city's 9/11 memorial, dedicated to local native Dan Shanower, who was killed while at work in the Pentagon.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 406 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 9. submitted on October 13, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 10, 11, 12. submitted on September 18, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.