“May the lives remembered, the deeds recognized, and the
sprit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm
respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preserve
freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance, and
intolerance.”
The National September 11 Memorial Mission Statement
The Stories of September 11th
Read and listen to the following stories of those impacted by the events of
September 11, 2001.
Bruno Dellinger – 9/11 Survivor,
47th Floor, North Tower
“You had in this building people from all over the world,
all religions, all colors of skin. All everything. All
social backgrounds and they lived in harmony.
Everybody was very proud to be a World Trade Center
tenant, one way or another, working in the World
Trade Center. And for me those flags that were in the
lobby of the Trade Center represented a utopia that
only can exist in New York.”
Sekou Siby – A Kitchen Worker at
Windows on the World at the World Trade
Center
 “When Moises Rivas was hired, I was
assigned to train him.”
Click to listen to Sekou Siby’s story:
http://storycorps.org/?p=54726
Alice Hoagland – Voicemail to Her Son,
Mark Bingham, Aboard Flight 93
“The news is that it has been hijacked by terrorists. They
are planning to probably use the plane as a target to hit
some site on the ground. If you can, try to overpower
these guys…Do everything you can…Call me back if
you can…I love you sweetie.”
Stacy Thedans - Remembers her last phone
conversation with her mother, who died at the
Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
“She said, 'Stacy, I've gotta go,'
and she hung up on me.”
Click to listen to Stacy’s
story:
http://storycorps.org/?p=24
945
Keating Crown - 9/11 Survivor,
100th floor, South Tower
“A number of the elevator doors had been blown off. Fire was coming up
through the shaft. It was just very difficult to see. There was not
much sound…There was a couple of other people calling out to try
and help or find someone. Ceilings collapsed and marble walls
crumbled. As it turns out I had a broken leg and other pretty severe
cuts and lacerations to my body…I ran into a colleague and we
decided to go down. As we were about to turn, a woman was calling
out our names. I started to pick her up and put her on my back. My
colleague said, ‘Keating, we have 78 flights to go, you’re not going to
carry her down.’ So we carried her between us as if we were carrying
her off a football field or a sporting event.”
NYPD Lieutenant Bill Cosgrove – Remembers
Carrying Father Mychal Judge, Franciscan friar,
chaplain to the New York City Fire Department
“He's always been on my mind
ever since then...”
Click to listen to Bill’s story:
http://storycorps.org/?p=12
744
Captain William Francis Burke, Jr.
(Billy)
On September 11, Captain William F. Burke, Jr., of Engine Company 21, led his
men down to the World Trade Center. He was in the North Tower on the 27th
floor, just after the collapse of the South Tower.… He ordered, by radio, the
safe evacuation of his men and they and the civilians they saved all survived.
Billy stayed behind to assist two civilians Abraham Zelmanowitz and Edward
Beyea, a quadriplegic, who was wheelchair-bound.… Billy had followed the
credo of an FDNY leader taught by his father: rescue the civilians and take
care of your men. He would continue to radio his men…and they would radio
back saying, "We'll wait for you here. Wait for you here." Billy said, "No, keep
going. I'm right behind you. Meet at the rig." Captain Burke stopped on the 21st
floor and each called family and friends. Billy reportedly told his friend, who
begged him to be safe, “This is my job. This is who I am.”
And all of his men survived and got out. The collapse of the North Tower killed
Abraham Zelmanowitz, Edward Beyea, and Captain Billy Burke of Engine 21
perished with the other 2,746 innocents on September 11th at the World Trade
Center. Captain Burke stands as the embodiment of heroism and sacrifice of
the first responders"
Retired FDNY John Vigiano Sr. - Remembers his
sons, John Jr., FDNY, and Joe, NYPD, who both
died at the World Trade Center.
“Both of the boys would call me
when they were working.”
Click to listen to John’s
story:http://storycorps.org/?
p=14896
FDNY LT. Mickey Kross – 9/11 Survivor,
One of 14 to Survive together in a Piece of
the North Tower Stairwell
“You’d relieve another unit. They would go home and you would
report. You would just start your digging and searching.
Sometimes you would find somebody. Sometimes you would
find a friend.”
NYPD Officer Joseph Lutrario – Remembers
Responding to the Attacks on September 11, 2001.
“We got to the World Trade
Center in a matter of minutes.”
Click on Joseph’s
story:http://storycorps.org/?
p=12849
Ronaldo Vega – NYC Dept. of Design and
Construction during Recovery
“Ground zero itself was sort of like the magnet. People
got up and they said I’ve got to be there…We set aside
our egos…our titles…we set aside whatever it is that
makes people think they’re different, and we decided to
work together.”
The Faces of Ground Zero
Photographer Joe McNally put together a photographic collection of
individuals involved in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. His “Faces of
Ground Zero, Portraits of the Heroes of September 11, 2001 during the first
devastating weeks after 9/11. Look at the images and read the words of some
of those heroes highlighted.
Minoru Yamasaki, Chief Architect
World Trade Center, 1964
“The World Trade Center should, become a living representation of
man’s belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his beliefs
in the cooperation of men, and through this cooperation his ability
to find greatness.”