Excerpts of Carol L. Paukner oral history interview conducted by Janet Lavelle, April 16, 2010
Carol L. Paukner, a New York City Transit officer, and her partner were assigned the Broadway and Nassau Street Station, located about one block away from the World Trade Center. She discusses her experiences responding to emergencies on September 11, 2001. Carol was inside the South Tower when it was struck by United Airlines Flight 175 and collapsed. In January 2003, Carol was awarded…
Contributor:
Paukner, Carol L. - Lavelle, Janet
Date:2010-04-16
Film, Video
Excerpts of Glenn A. Radalinsky oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 10, 2010
Glenn Radalinsky, a Nassau County Marine Officer, responded to September 11th, 2001 at North Cove Marina located at the base of Battery Park. He spent the day filling the boats with people and supplies and transporting them across the river. He recalls scenes from Ground Zero and getting caught in the plume from the collapse of Building 7. Glenn received federal recognition when he…
Contributor:
Luft, Benjamin J. - Radalinsky, Glenn A.
Date:2010-06-10
Film, Video
Excerpts of John Delaney oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 25, 2010
John "Jack" Delaney was the director of EMS for New York Presbyterian Hospital. He recalls responding to the World Trade Center site, witnessing individuals jumping from Tower Two, the collapse of the buildings, and a near death experience escaping the debris. After surviving he returned to the site to search for staff he lost.
Contributor:
Delaney, John - Luft, Benjamin J.
Date:2010-06-25
Film, Video
Excerpts of William Gardner oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 25, 2010
William "Bill" Gardner was a corrections officer in Nassau County. He responded to the World Trade Center site and was immediately assigned to provide security at an FDNY firehouse, Rescue 1, near Ground Zero, which had many casualties. He discusses the grief the firemen and their wives experienced, the feelings of unity post-9/11, and the emotions inspired by his experiences. He later volunteered to…
Contributor:
Luft, Benjamin J. - Gardner, William
Date:2010-06-25
Film, Video
Excerpts of William Fischer oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, June 29, 2010 and October 20, 2020
William Fischer was working as an NYPD officer in the Emergency Services Unit on 9/11. He saw the planes hit the Twin Towers on TV and went to his Brooklyn police station to check in. William and his fellow E.S.U. officers commandeered a city bus into the city through the Battery Tunnel. At Ground Zero, he worked in rescue & recovery and helped rescue…
Contributor:
Fischer, William - Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-06-29
Film, Video
Excerpts of John Marschhauser oral history interview conducted by Christine Collins, July 12, 2010
John Marschhauser, a police sergeant for Nassau County, was working at the Far Rockaway Marina on September 11th, 2001. He coordinated rescue operations on police boats transporting first responders across the river to New Jersey. He later worked on the pile at the World Trade Center site. He recalls being motivated by other extreme survival stories to continue searching for survivors and describes the…
Contributor:
Collins, Christine - Marschhauser, John
Date:2010-07-12
Film, Video
Excerpts of Mark oral history interview conducted by Allison Brons, July 13, 2010
Mark worked as a ballistic and integrity specialist with the NYPD. He was caught in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and recalls the dust caking his mouth and confusion at the scene. He worked at the site for six months doing various jobs, including distributing fuel. He discusses the impacts September 11th has had on his life and emotions.
Contributor:
Brons, Allison
Date:2010-07-13
Film, Video
Excerpts of Michael oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, July 16, 2010
Michael was an NYPD homicide detective on 9/11, working in Brooklyn. Upon hearing of the attack, Michael went to the top of a building and saw the North Tower on fire. Due to the breakdown in communications, Michael reported to a command center set up in downtown Brooklyn. His job was to direct traffic to allow emergency vehicles to travel. He then worked at…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-07-16
Film, Video
Excerpts of Christine Famiglietti oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, July 23, 2010
Christine Famiglietti was an NYPD police officer on September 11, 2001. She arrived at Ground Zero at 4 a.m. on 9/12/2001 after spending 8 hours on a "war bus". She recalls her first impressions of the destruction and chaos at the World Trade Center site, finding human remains, pretending to be an injured person to lift the spirits of the rescue dogs, and the…
Excerpts of Rafael Orozco oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, July 27, 2010
Rafael Orozco was working as an NYPD detective in Brooklyn on September 11th, 2001. He saw the first plane hit the North Tower as their police van was being serviced at a Brooklyn car wash and describes the surreality of the experience. He recalls listening to the trapped emergency personnel call for help on their radios, responding to the site, and the initial destruction…
Contributor:
Luft, Benjamin J. - Orozco, Rafael
Date:2010-07-27
Film, Video
Excerpts of Martin Carrano oral history interview conducted by Sonia Fore, July 28, 2010
Martin Carrano was working as an NYPD narcotics detective in Queens on September 11th, 2001. He recalls assisting citizens who were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and his impressions of the destruction at the World Trade Center site. He was part of the first group that went to the Staten Island Landfill and worked there and at the WTC site identifying human remains. He was…
Contributor:
Carrano, Martin - Fore, Sonia
Date:2010-07-28
Film, Video
Excerpts of Christopher Lyons oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 4, 2010
Christopher Lyons was at home on 9/11, when his cell phone and pager started to go off. Christopher had previous training in search and rescue, so he called the Bellmore Fire Department and went to help as a volunteer. He remembers driving down the Long Island Expressway and seeing the plume of smoke from the towers. When the second tower fell, he remembers driving…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie - Lyons, Christopher
Date:2010-08-04
Film, Video
Excerpts of Kerry M. Datz oral history interview conducted by Eliza Marcus, August 4, 2010
Kerry Datz was a self-employed carpenter and volunteer firefighter on 9/11. He was very anxious to go to Ground Zero to help. He waited for a call at his firehouse on Long Island until he was asked to go on 9/14. He went to Ground Zero for one day with other volunteer firefighters. They drove there on the Long Island Expressway, and it looked…
Contributor:
Marcus, Eliza - Datz, Kerry M.
Date:2010-08-04
Film, Video
Excerpts of Tyree Bacon oral history interview conducted by Melodie Guerrera, August 6, 2010
Tyree Bacon was a Senior Court Officer and EMT working a few blocks from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. After the first attack, Bacon joined a group of fellow EMTs who were going to support emergency medical staff at the World Trade Center. Bacon was assisting a woman in the basement of the second tower, when the building collapsed. Bacon was…
Contributor:
Bacon, Tyree - Guerrera, Melodie
Date:2010-08-06
Film, Video
Excerpts of Ronald King oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 18, 2010
Ronald King, originally from Guyana, came to the United States in 1979. He was a construction supervisor in New York City. King’s experience living in the United States has been positive. He is grateful for the opportunities that the country has given him, especially given the material poverty with which he grew up in Guyana. The tragedy of 9/11, for King, was that someone…
Contributor:
King, Ronald - Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-08-18
Film, Video
Excerpts of Chris oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, August 23, 2010
Chris was a manager and co-owner of an environmental cleanup company, who worked on clean-up efforts post-9/11. Immediately after the attacks, he could not bring himself to go to Ground Zero to solicit work. Given that he had done previous work at the World Trade Center, he expected that he would be contacted. Indeed, he was called for clean-up work soon after the attacks.…
Contributor:
Luft, Benjamin J.
Date:2010-08-23
Film, Video
Excerpts of Philip Mattera oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, September 17, 2010
Philip Mattera was a building inspector for the NYC Department of Buildings during 9/11. He was in a meeting on the 14th floor of the Building Department on Hudson St., when a coworker called alerting them about a plane hitting the WTC. Mattera and his coworkers viewed through their windows what looked like a “little hole” in the first tower. Mattera and a coworker…
Contributor:
Mattera, Philip - Luft, Benjamin J.
Date:2010-09-17
Film, Video
Excerpts of Robert oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, September 30, 2010
Robert is a detective who was off duty on 9/11 when the attacks occurred. He remembers the commute into Manhattan taking half the usual time, as the highway was only open to first responders and everyone sped to get into the city. Looking from the roof of the police precinct, Robert remembers downtown Manhattan was lit like a sunset, even though it was already…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-09-24
Film, Video
Excerpts of Robert Weisberg oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 1, 2010
Robert Weisberg thinks of 9/11 as his generation’s Pearl Harbor. An accountant working across from the WTC, he was also a trained volunteer firefighter and EMT in his suburban Long Island town. He was just getting off the subway under WTC when the first plane hit. Thinking it might be a car bomb, he rushed to the nearby NYPD Liberty Street firehouse to offer…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie - Weisberg, Robert
Date:2010-10-01
Film, Video
Excerpts of Robert Treubert oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 14, 2010
Robert Treubert was the security supervisor of the JP Morgan Complex approximately 2-3 blocks from Ground Zero. On the day of the attacks, Robert went to work on the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) and took the No. 2 train downtown to his office. He was informed by a coworker that the towers were hit and went up to a higher floor in the…
Contributor:
Treubert, Robert - Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-10-14
Film, Video
Excerpts of Albert Meller oral history interview conducted by Melodie Guerrera, October 15, 2010
Albert was a police detective working with the 75th precinct detective squad when asked if there were any people who wanted to volunteer at the landfill. Albert volunteered multiple days in a row and eventually was “temporarily permanently” assigned to work at the landfill and the mortuary sifting through debris and identifying human remains. His initial duties were fingerprinting and then he was sent…
Contributor:
Guerrera, Melodie - Meller, Albert
Date:2010-10-15
Film, Video
Excerpts of John oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 18, 2010
John was a captain in the NYC Fire Department. At the time of the interview, he was retired and had been diagnosed in 2007 with pulmonary fibrosis due to his recovery work at the World Trade Center. John recalls coming into Manhattan from Brooklyn, and how quiet and dark the city was. Knowing how many firefighters would be lost after the first tower collapsed,…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie
Date:2010-10-18
Film, Video
Excerpts of Richard Doerler oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 19, 2010
Sargent Richard Doerler, an ex-NYPD officer, was working as a Nassau County Police officer in the Emergency Medical Services unit on 9/11. He was off duty when he saw the planes hit the WTC, and recalls how that night, he and his colleagues were bused to the WTC. The site reminded him of post-WWII Berlin as he and other “confined space technicians” formed a…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie - Doerler, Richard
Date:2010-10-19
Film, Video
Excerpts of Greta Helmke oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, December 1, 2010
Greta Helmke is the widow of New York City police officer Robert (Rob) Helmke. On 9/11 the young couple were vacationing in Canada when they heard the news and Rob announced, “We have to go back.” After driving all night, Rob reported for work and was assigned to work the WTC security perimeter. The next few months were a blur: the couple’s first child…
Contributor:
Broihier, Julie - Helmke, Greta
Date:2010-12-01
Film, Video
Excerpts of James Vaz oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, December 1, 2010
James (Jim) Vaz moved to Brookhaven, Long Island, from Jamaica and in 1986 became a volunteer firefighter and EMT. He was at his job at Brookhaven National Labs on 9/11 and realized the gravity of the situation when the second plane struck. As the 2nd Assistant Chief at the Brookhaven Firehouse, he initially waited for official orders, but by 9/12, realizing that Link, a…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Carol L. Paukner oral history interview conducted by Janet Lavelle, April 16, 2010 Carol L. Paukner, a New York City Transit officer, and her partner were assigned the Broadway and Nassau Street Station, located about one block away from the World Trade Center. She discusses her experiences responding to emergencies on September 11, 2001. Carol was inside the South Tower when it was struck by United Airlines Flight 175 and collapsed. In January 2003, Carol was awarded…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Glenn A. Radalinsky oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 10, 2010 Glenn Radalinsky, a Nassau County Marine Officer, responded to September 11th, 2001 at North Cove Marina located at the base of Battery Park. He spent the day filling the boats with people and supplies and transporting them across the river. He recalls scenes from Ground Zero and getting caught in the plume from the collapse of Building 7. Glenn received federal recognition when he…
Film, VideoExcerpts of John Delaney oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 25, 2010 John "Jack" Delaney was the director of EMS for New York Presbyterian Hospital. He recalls responding to the World Trade Center site, witnessing individuals jumping from Tower Two, the collapse of the buildings, and a near death experience escaping the debris. After surviving he returned to the site to search for staff he lost.
Film, VideoExcerpts of William Gardner oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, June 25, 2010 William "Bill" Gardner was a corrections officer in Nassau County. He responded to the World Trade Center site and was immediately assigned to provide security at an FDNY firehouse, Rescue 1, near Ground Zero, which had many casualties. He discusses the grief the firemen and their wives experienced, the feelings of unity post-9/11, and the emotions inspired by his experiences. He later volunteered to…
Film, VideoExcerpts of William Fischer oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, June 29, 2010 and October 20, 2020 William Fischer was working as an NYPD officer in the Emergency Services Unit on 9/11. He saw the planes hit the Twin Towers on TV and went to his Brooklyn police station to check in. William and his fellow E.S.U. officers commandeered a city bus into the city through the Battery Tunnel. At Ground Zero, he worked in rescue & recovery and helped rescue…
Film, VideoExcerpts of John Marschhauser oral history interview conducted by Christine Collins, July 12, 2010 John Marschhauser, a police sergeant for Nassau County, was working at the Far Rockaway Marina on September 11th, 2001. He coordinated rescue operations on police boats transporting first responders across the river to New Jersey. He later worked on the pile at the World Trade Center site. He recalls being motivated by other extreme survival stories to continue searching for survivors and describes the…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Mark oral history interview conducted by Allison Brons, July 13, 2010 Mark worked as a ballistic and integrity specialist with the NYPD. He was caught in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers and recalls the dust caking his mouth and confusion at the scene. He worked at the site for six months doing various jobs, including distributing fuel. He discusses the impacts September 11th has had on his life and emotions.
Film, VideoExcerpts of Michael oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, July 16, 2010 Michael was an NYPD homicide detective on 9/11, working in Brooklyn. Upon hearing of the attack, Michael went to the top of a building and saw the North Tower on fire. Due to the breakdown in communications, Michael reported to a command center set up in downtown Brooklyn. His job was to direct traffic to allow emergency vehicles to travel. He then worked at…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Christine Famiglietti oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, July 23, 2010 Christine Famiglietti was an NYPD police officer on September 11, 2001. She arrived at Ground Zero at 4 a.m. on 9/12/2001 after spending 8 hours on a "war bus". She recalls her first impressions of the destruction and chaos at the World Trade Center site, finding human remains, pretending to be an injured person to lift the spirits of the rescue dogs, and the…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Rafael Orozco oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, July 27, 2010 Rafael Orozco was working as an NYPD detective in Brooklyn on September 11th, 2001. He saw the first plane hit the North Tower as their police van was being serviced at a Brooklyn car wash and describes the surreality of the experience. He recalls listening to the trapped emergency personnel call for help on their radios, responding to the site, and the initial destruction…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Martin Carrano oral history interview conducted by Sonia Fore, July 28, 2010 Martin Carrano was working as an NYPD narcotics detective in Queens on September 11th, 2001. He recalls assisting citizens who were crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and his impressions of the destruction at the World Trade Center site. He was part of the first group that went to the Staten Island Landfill and worked there and at the WTC site identifying human remains. He was…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Christopher Lyons oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 4, 2010 Christopher Lyons was at home on 9/11, when his cell phone and pager started to go off. Christopher had previous training in search and rescue, so he called the Bellmore Fire Department and went to help as a volunteer. He remembers driving down the Long Island Expressway and seeing the plume of smoke from the towers. When the second tower fell, he remembers driving…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Kerry M. Datz oral history interview conducted by Eliza Marcus, August 4, 2010 Kerry Datz was a self-employed carpenter and volunteer firefighter on 9/11. He was very anxious to go to Ground Zero to help. He waited for a call at his firehouse on Long Island until he was asked to go on 9/14. He went to Ground Zero for one day with other volunteer firefighters. They drove there on the Long Island Expressway, and it looked…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Tyree Bacon oral history interview conducted by Melodie Guerrera, August 6, 2010 Tyree Bacon was a Senior Court Officer and EMT working a few blocks from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. After the first attack, Bacon joined a group of fellow EMTs who were going to support emergency medical staff at the World Trade Center. Bacon was assisting a woman in the basement of the second tower, when the building collapsed. Bacon was…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Ronald King oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 18, 2010 Ronald King, originally from Guyana, came to the United States in 1979. He was a construction supervisor in New York City. King’s experience living in the United States has been positive. He is grateful for the opportunities that the country has given him, especially given the material poverty with which he grew up in Guyana. The tragedy of 9/11, for King, was that someone…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Chris oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, August 23, 2010 Chris was a manager and co-owner of an environmental cleanup company, who worked on clean-up efforts post-9/11. Immediately after the attacks, he could not bring himself to go to Ground Zero to solicit work. Given that he had done previous work at the World Trade Center, he expected that he would be contacted. Indeed, he was called for clean-up work soon after the attacks.…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Philip Mattera oral history interview conducted by Dr. Benjamin Luft, September 17, 2010 Philip Mattera was a building inspector for the NYC Department of Buildings during 9/11. He was in a meeting on the 14th floor of the Building Department on Hudson St., when a coworker called alerting them about a plane hitting the WTC. Mattera and his coworkers viewed through their windows what looked like a “little hole” in the first tower. Mattera and a coworker…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Robert oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, September 30, 2010 Robert is a detective who was off duty on 9/11 when the attacks occurred. He remembers the commute into Manhattan taking half the usual time, as the highway was only open to first responders and everyone sped to get into the city. Looking from the roof of the police precinct, Robert remembers downtown Manhattan was lit like a sunset, even though it was already…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Robert Weisberg oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 1, 2010 Robert Weisberg thinks of 9/11 as his generation’s Pearl Harbor. An accountant working across from the WTC, he was also a trained volunteer firefighter and EMT in his suburban Long Island town. He was just getting off the subway under WTC when the first plane hit. Thinking it might be a car bomb, he rushed to the nearby NYPD Liberty Street firehouse to offer…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Robert Treubert oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 14, 2010 Robert Treubert was the security supervisor of the JP Morgan Complex approximately 2-3 blocks from Ground Zero. On the day of the attacks, Robert went to work on the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) and took the No. 2 train downtown to his office. He was informed by a coworker that the towers were hit and went up to a higher floor in the…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Albert Meller oral history interview conducted by Melodie Guerrera, October 15, 2010 Albert was a police detective working with the 75th precinct detective squad when asked if there were any people who wanted to volunteer at the landfill. Albert volunteered multiple days in a row and eventually was “temporarily permanently” assigned to work at the landfill and the mortuary sifting through debris and identifying human remains. His initial duties were fingerprinting and then he was sent…
Film, VideoExcerpts of John oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 18, 2010 John was a captain in the NYC Fire Department. At the time of the interview, he was retired and had been diagnosed in 2007 with pulmonary fibrosis due to his recovery work at the World Trade Center. John recalls coming into Manhattan from Brooklyn, and how quiet and dark the city was. Knowing how many firefighters would be lost after the first tower collapsed,…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Richard Doerler oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, October 19, 2010 Sargent Richard Doerler, an ex-NYPD officer, was working as a Nassau County Police officer in the Emergency Medical Services unit on 9/11. He was off duty when he saw the planes hit the WTC, and recalls how that night, he and his colleagues were bused to the WTC. The site reminded him of post-WWII Berlin as he and other “confined space technicians” formed a…
Film, VideoExcerpts of Greta Helmke oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, December 1, 2010 Greta Helmke is the widow of New York City police officer Robert (Rob) Helmke. On 9/11 the young couple were vacationing in Canada when they heard the news and Rob announced, “We have to go back.” After driving all night, Rob reported for work and was assigned to work the WTC security perimeter. The next few months were a blur: the couple’s first child…
Film, VideoExcerpts of James Vaz oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, December 1, 2010 James (Jim) Vaz moved to Brookhaven, Long Island, from Jamaica and in 1986 became a volunteer firefighter and EMT. He was at his job at Brookhaven National Labs on 9/11 and realized the gravity of the situation when the second plane struck. As the 2nd Assistant Chief at the Brookhaven Firehouse, he initially waited for official orders, but by 9/12, realizing that Link, a…