September 11, 2001 — We Remember
On September 11, 2001, 2,977 innocent people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93. They were mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers—people from more than 90 nations whose ordinary Tuesday morning became one of the darkest days in American history.
Among the fallen were 441 first responders—men and women who ran toward danger while thousands of others were desperately trying to escape. It remains the greatest loss of emergency responders on a single day in American history.
FIRST RESPONDERS LOST
343 FDNY firefighters and paramedics
23 NYPD officers
37 Port Authority Police officers
and other emergency personnel who answered the call
Their courage reminds us of what America witnessed amid unimaginable tragedy: strangers helping strangers, first responders placing the lives of others ahead of their own, and a nation coming together in grief, compassion and resolve.
Some gave all so others could live.
Twenty-five years later, we remember the 2,977 lives taken, honor the heroes who answered the call, and keep their families in our hearts.
Never Forget.
Years after 9/11, Rockland County named an electronics-detection K-9 "Remy" in honor of Welles Crowther. Remy wears a red bandana as a symbol of the same courage, selflessness and service that defined Welles.
Though they never met,
Welles Crowther — “The Man in the Red Bandana”
Welles Crowther was a 24-year-old equities trader and former volunteer firefighter working on the 104th floor of the South Tower. After the plane struck, he covered his face with his trademark red bandana and repeatedly entered the smoke-filled danger zone, directing injured survivors toward the one usable stairwell. Survivors later described a mysterious man in a red bandana who carried people, administered first aid and repeatedly went back for others. Crowther did not survive.
Though they never met, Remy carries Welles's legacy forward - a reminder that true heroes inspire others generations later.
DIFFERENT MISSIONS.
THE SAME SPIRIT.
SERVICE LIVES ON
Rick Rescorla — The Security Chief Who Prepared for the Unthinkable
Vietnam veteran Rick Rescorla was Morgan Stanley's vice president of security in the South Tower. Long before 9/11, he insisted employees practice emergency evacuations. When the North Tower was struck, Rescorla began evacuating his people rather than waiting. He used a bullhorn and even sang to keep frightened workers calm. Thousands escaped. Rescorla was last seen heading back upstairs looking for people who had not yet gotten out.
NYPD Officer Moira Smith — Guiding People to Safety
Officer Moira Smith of the NYPD's 13th Precinct repeatedly helped evacuate civilians from the World Trade Center. Witnesses remembered her calmly directing frightened people toward safety and shielding evacuees from some of the horrific sights around them. She returned toward the South Tower and was killed when it collapsed. She was the only female NYPD officer killed in the attacks that day.
FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller — The Run Through the Tunnel
Stephen Siller had finished his shift and was heading to meet his brothers when he heard that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. When he reached the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and found it closed to traffic, he reportedly put on roughly 60 pounds of firefighting gear and ran through the tunnel toward Manhattan. He reached the World Trade Center and died while attempting to save others. His journey inspired today's Tunnel to Towers remembrance.
FDNY Battalion Chief Orio Palmer — Climbing Toward the Fire
Chief Orio Palmer was one of the firefighters who managed to ascend extraordinarily high into the South Tower. Radio transmissions later revealed that Palmer and Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca reached the 78th floor, near the aircraft's impact zone. Palmer calmly radioed conditions and was preparing rescue operations despite the devastation surrounding him. He remained there when the tower collapsed.
Father Mychal Judge — The Chaplain Who Went Where His Firefighters Went
Father Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar and FDNY chaplain, responded to the World Trade Center alongside firefighters. Inside the emergency area, he prayed for victims, comforted responders and administered last rites. He was killed during the collapse and became one of the most enduring symbols of compassion and ministry on 9/11.
Lt. Cmdr. David Tarantino & Capt. David Thomas — Into the Burning Pentagon
Navy physician David Tarantino could have evacuated after American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon. Instead, he moved toward the damaged section, helping disoriented people along the way. He eventually joined Capt. David Thomas in an extraordinary rescue of civilian employee Jerry Henson, who was pinned beneath heavy debris with fire nearby. Tarantino got beneath the wreckage and used his legs to lift it while Thomas helped pull Henson free. Henson later said the two unquestionably saved his life.
Todd Beamer — “Let's Roll” and Flight 93
After learning through phone calls that other hijacked aircraft had struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, passengers aboard United Flight 93 understood that their aircraft was likely part of the same attack. Todd Beamer helped organize passengers preparing to confront the hijackers. During his final telephone connection, an operator heard him ask whether the others were ready, followed by the words that became associated with Flight 93: “Let's roll.”
Jeremy Glick — “We're Going to Rush Them”
Jeremy Glick, a 31-year-old passenger and former collegiate judo champion, telephoned his wife from Flight 93. He described what was happening aboard the aircraft and told her that passengers were planning to attack the hijackers. Before joining the effort, he told his wife that he loved her. Glick was among the passengers and crew credited with preventing Flight 93 from reaching its intended target.
