Ep. 85 – 9/11: 25th Anniversary Special – Four NYPD Officers Who Responded to Ground Zero
Ep. 85 - For this special episode marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, you will hear excerpts from four prior episodes of On Being a Police Officer in which I interviewed NYPD officers who responded to Ground Zero on 9/11. We talk about that tragic day, how it unfolded for them. That creeping realization we all had that this was terrorism. And then how each of them, without hesitation, like all first responders, went directly there facing the terror and the chaos everyone else was so desperately trying to escape.
As you will hear, the memories, the emotions, the despair at finding no survivors and losing fellow first responders remain fresh in their hearts and minds. We also talk about the hospitals at the ready for victims – victims who never came; the signs of the missing posted throughout the city; police and fire from around the country coming to help; citizens holding signs of thanks as our first responders drove down the West Side Highway; and stories of people – including criminals – bringing flowers and cards to the precincts.
These excerpts are from interviews I did over the years with:
LAPD/NYPD Officer Knocko Nolan (Ret.)
NYPD Cold Case Detective Jason Palamara (Ret.)
NYPD Officer/ATF Special Agent Pete Forcelli (Ret.)
NYPD Homicide Detective Tom Smith (Ret.)
I know we are all feeling the pain that anniversaries bring. 9/11 happened to all of us. So many lives were lost. So many families and loved ones left broken and grieving—not just in New York City, but everywhere.
For me, however, my experience was in New York City where I was living at the time. The bravery of our first responders was beyond measure. The gratitude we felt was overwhelming. And yet most of us never got to thank any of them. It was a helpless feeling.
One of the unexpected gifts of doing this podcast has been the opportunity to do just that, to thank these NYPD officers for their bravery, commitment and sacrifice on that day and in the weeks and months that followed. And to share their stories for all to hear.
Thank you Knocko, Jason, Pete and Tom. Thank you, NYPD and NYFD.
Original full interviews:
Ep. 45 Meet NYPD’s and LAPD’s Knocko Nolan
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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org
