The Spartan Sword
Forged from the Steel of September 11
From Wreckage to Purpose
The Spartan Pledge found its physical symbol through an unlikely chain of connections. Danny Prince, a retired FDNY firefighter and Navy veteran, had made many trips to visit recovering warriors at Walter Reed. In his possession was something most people would never encounter — actual steel recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center.
Prince connected with Boone Cutler and Steve “Luker” Danyluk, a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel. Together, they found a veteran blacksmith in McKinney, Texas, who could forge the 9/11 steel into something meaningful.
What emerged was a Greek-style Spartan sword. A Spartan Axe was later forged as well.
“Every warfighter in this era is there because of what happened at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11. We come full circle now, by creating a sword out of that tragic event… that inspires people to live.”
The sword carries the weight of that circle. Steel from the event that sent a generation to war, reforged into a symbol that asks them to stay alive. It connects the beginning — September 11 — to the ongoing fight that too many veterans wage alone after they come home.
SpartanSword.org
SpartanSword.org is the fully volunteer-run nonprofit that transports the Spartan Sword and Axe, along with escorts, to veteran and first-responder events across the country. The organization operates on principles Boone insisted upon:
Zero Overhead
No paid staff. Every dollar goes to moving the sword to where veterans need it.
$100K Cap
The organization will never hold more than $100,000 in its account for a 90-day period. Donations pause if that limit is reached.
Fully Volunteer
Everyone involved — from escorts to event coordinators — donates their time.
Lives, Not Dollars
Success is measured by lives saved, not dollars raised.
The Ceremony
When the Spartan Sword arrives at an event, it isn't displayed behind glass. Veterans hold it. They take the Spartan Pledge with the sword in hand — steel from the day that changed their lives, held in the grip of a commitment to keep living.
The ceremony has traveled to veteran gatherings, first-responder events, and community healing spaces across the country. Each time, the same question is asked: will you pledge to call your battle buddy before making an irreversible decision?
The People Behind the Sword
Danny Prince
Retired FDNY firefighter and Navy veteran. Donated the World Trade Center steel and connected the team that made the sword possible.
Steve “Luker” Danyluk
Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel. Co-founder of the Spartan Sword initiative alongside Boone and Danny.
Boone Cutler
Creator of the Spartan Pledge and chairman of SpartanSword.org until his passing in September 2025.
Sword and Pledge
The Spartan Sword is not a relic. It is an active instrument of the Spartan Pledge mission — carried to where veterans gather, held by veterans who need to feel something real in their hands when they make a promise to keep fighting. The steel remembers September 11. The pledge asks veterans to remember each other.