By Laura Bird, Mason City Globe-Gazette

CLEAR LAKE — Describing it as one of the most memorable experiences in their lives, members of the Clear Lake Fire Department returned Thursday night from their trip to bring back an I-beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center in New York City.

“This has been one of the neatest experiences I’ve been involved in in my life,” said Lt. Jim Finstad.

Other firefighters agreed.

“This is the third-most amazing thing that’s happen in my life,” said Billy Krefft, the Fire Department’s public information officer. Marrying his wife and the birth of his son were the top two events.

Eleven members of the Fire Department left on Sunday to pick up the piece of steel and returned Thursday night.

“It’s been a long trip, but to bring this back here to put over there it’s pretty special to us,” Mike Keefe, assistant fire chief, told a crowd of close to 1,000 people in Clear Lake.

The piece of steel will be part of a sculpture in front of the new fire station. The department hopes the sculpture will remind people of the terrorists attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who died that day.

“It’s not about us, but what we brought back,” Finstad said.

While in New York City they learned more about the people who witnessed and died in the attacks.

One particular New York City firefighter shared the story of how he lost his brother on 9/11 and showed them around the city.

“Every place we went by he had a story about the building or a fire there,” Finstad said. “At the end of the night he told us he shared the stories because he loves New York City and his brother loved New York City. Everything he told us he said, ‘My brother told me.’ ”

At the end of the night the firefighter gave them some badges from one of his brother’s uniforms.

Krefft said several of the Clear Lake firefighters “lost it” when the man slid the badges across the table.

“What we did was tie a knot of friendship and brothership between the Clear Lake Fire Department and New York Fire Department,” he said.

The firefighters also visited ground zero, the crash site in Shanksville, Pa., and other New York City fire departments, including one that lost 11 members on Sept. 11.

“This has affected me for the rest of my life,” Krefft said.

The trip back also made a lasting impression on the men.

They received a police escort through Manhattan and in Iowa a convoy of fire trucks and dozens of motorcycles escorted them to Clear Lake.

People also gathered along the route, and in Clear Lake close to 1,000 people holding signs and flags welcomed them home.

“It was thumbs-up signs all the way,” said Chief Doug Meyers. “I don’t know if the other guys will admit it, but there were tears rolling down my face. That meant so much to me.”

The steel will be on display in the Clear Lake Fire Museum until the sculpture is unveiled on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks.