9/11 Memorial Honors Rescue and Recovery Workers
Today, on the 12th anniversary of the official end of the rescue and recovery effort, the 9/11 Memorial laid a wreath at the Survivor Tree in honor of the thousands of workers who served with dedication and selflessness in the months after September 11. In a public ceremony on the Memorial plaza, the wreath was presented to New York City Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano by 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels, 9/11 Memorial Museum Director Alice Greenwald and 9/11 Memorial Board Member Lee Ielpi, a retired FDNY firefighter who lost his son Jonathan Ielpi, FDNY Squad 288, and assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts of September 11.
In the 9/11 Memorial Museum, visitors can learn about the nine-month recovery period in the historical exhibition and in Foundation Hall, where the 36-foot tall Last Column now stands. On May 30, 2002, the Last Column, which was covered from top to bottom with photos, signatures and other tributes to the fallen, was the final piece of steel to be removed from the World Trade Center site.
“Now, it stands proudly in testament to the dedication of those who played an indispensable role in helping our nation heal,” said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels.
The Scroll of Honor, which stands next to the Last Column in Foundation Hall, lists the names of all rescue and recovery workers, living or deceased. The names on the digital scroll is provided by the 9/11 Memorial Rescue and Recovery Registry, an online registry system that creates a historical record of the rescue, recovery, investigation, cleanup and relief efforts after 9/11 through first-hand testimonials.
Learn more about the rescue and recovery efforts by visiting 911memorial.org/rescue-recovery-workers and by planning a visit to the Museum. The Museum is free to all registered rescue and recovery workers.
Use the hashtag #SayThankYou on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help recognize all those who participated in the rescue, recovery and relief efforts. See images here.
By Margaret Barng, 9/11 Memorial Deputy Communications Manager
During the recovery period at the World Trade Center site, Frank Shane, a certified trauma responder working in Mental Health Services, and Nikie, a K-9 Disaster Relief therapy dog, would visit respite areas to comfort workers who toiled to clear the wreckage.
When retired FDNY firefighter William Denis, a 9/11 first responder, visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum, he came across the World Trade Center presentation model standing in the historical exhibition and was taken back to a special day in his childhood 48 years ago.