A first responder who spent over 1,000 hours at the September 11, 2001 disaster site in New York City has shared some of the most meaningful and difficult memories from that time.
It has now been nearly a quarter of a century since the coordinated attacks struck the United States, with two planes flown into the Twin Towers and another into the Pentagon, while a fourth—headed toward Washington, D.C.—was diverted by passengers and came down in Pennsylvania.
To mark the anniversary, people have revisited a Reddit AMA forum from six months ago, hosted by user @Hot_Day_2137, where the responder invited questions about his experiences.
One person asked: “What was the best and worst thing you saw? Thank you for your service!”
The responder replied:
“The best? The City, the country and the world coming together. There was no division in our country like it is today.
The worst was people taking pictures with cameras (very rare to have cellphones back then) with Ground Zero in the background smiling. Over 3,000 people died in a public and horrific manner and people wanted to take group pictures. Simply hated seeing that.”
Another user asked for clarity about what was meant when officials referred to “human remains” during the recovery efforts.
The responder explained:
“Remains primarily means body parts for identification for the family so they can properly grieve.
If body parts can’t be found, personal property is next and hopefully identified for the family. I saw so many [World Trade Center] ID tags with names and pictures of people while at the landfill. I remember when I was first at the landfill it was so hard to look for remains that I was wondering to myself why are we even here?
Then one day we were at the cafeteria tent, taking a break, and then a whole bunch of family members of the victims came and thanked us for being there. And then I knew why we had to be there.”
His words highlight the importance of the mission—not only in physical recovery, but in providing families with something tangible for closure.
On the day of the attacks, news crews rushed to document the unfolding events. One particularly powerful ABC 7 interview resurfaced online, showing a man who had escaped from the 72nd floor. Covered in dust, he spoke to the camera—only to turn and see the tower behind him collapsing.
One Reddit user reflected: “Incredible, to see your workplace, a place where you spent thousands of hours just turn to dust.”
Another added: “I just can’t imagine how he felt. I’m sure he thought about all the people he passed on his way down that had stopped to rest, the people from his floor that he worked with, the rescuers who were going up as he was coming down. Just awful.”
Two dozen years later, these memories remain deeply moving. The first responder’s words remind us of both the strength of unity in the face of tragedy, and the ongoing need for compassion when remembering those who were lost.
Source: unilad.com