The shirt worn by the Navy SEAL who fatally shot Osama bin Laden in 2011 will be put on display at the 9/11 Memorial Museum starting Sunday.
The office of Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., confirmed to USA TODAY that the congresswoman has arranged for a shirt worn by one of the SEALs involved in the raid to be sent to the museum in New York.
The New York Post reports that the shirt will be identified as belonging to a member of the team, but cites unidentified sources as saying the shirt was actually worn by bin Laden's killer. The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a daring raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011.
"In honor of the courageous men and women who have put their lives on the line in war on terror - and in memory of all those we lost on 9/11 - a member of storied Seal Team Six has graciously donated the shirt he wore during the high-risk mission," Maloney said in a statement to USA TODAY. "I hope it will serve as a tangible reminder to all those who visit the museum of the undaunted courage and steely resolve of the American men and women who risk their lives to keep our country safe from harm."
Maloney said the SEAL wishes to remain anonymous. The Post says the shooter, now retired, is so concerned about being exposed that he declined to meet with the families of 9/11 victims.
Al-Qaeda operatives under bin Laden planned and executed the attacks that stunned the world Sept. 11, 2001. Four planes were hijacked, with two hitting New York's World Trade Center twin towers, one hitting the Pentagon and one crashing in a Pennsylvania field. The hunt for bin Laden began soon after.
Almost 10 years later the CIA finally tracked him to the Pakistan compound. The assault on the compound, dubbed Operation Neptune Spear, was launched from Afghanistan. Bin Laden's body was taken back to Afghanistan for identification before he was buried at sea.
Al-Qaeda confirmed the death May 6 — and vowed to avenge bin Laden's killing.
