Oral Histories

The 9/11 Memorial Museum’s oral history collection tells the story of 9/11 through recorded interviews conducted from different perspectives, most of which cannot be fully captured through written sources.

Amy Mundorff – Former Forensic Anthropologist for New York City’s Medical Examiner’s Office
Days after the 2001 attacks, Amy Mundorff was part of a team responsible for sorting through the remains of the victims—one of the largest and most complex victim identification projects in U.S. History. At StoryCorps, Mundorff talked with her husband, Kurt, about running away from the debris of one of the collapsing towers after she was dispatched to the World Trade Center as part of a medical assessment unit.

Charles Maikish - Former World Trade Center Director and CEO
Charles Maikish remembers John DiGiovanni at StoryCorps. DiGiovanni had just parked his car in the World Trade Center's parking garage when a car bomb was detonated on February 26, 1993. Charlie recalls delivering the news to DiGiovanni’s mother, and her commitment to honoring her son's memory at the annual commemoration ceremonies for the 1993 bombing.

Carl Sellinger – Former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Employee
Carl Sellinger, who at the time worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was trapped in an elevator for hours following the 1993 bombing until he was rescued by first responders. As conditions worsened in the enclosed space, he feared he wouldn’t make it out alive and wrote what he thought would be the last letter to his family before the lights shut off. Listen as Sellinger describes the ordeal and his eventual rescue.

Richard Sheirer – Former Director of the New York City Office of Emergency Management
Richard Sheirer led the coordinated rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. A dedicated public servant, he was a deputy commissioner of the New York City Fire Department and a deputy police commissioner of the New York City Police Department before taking over the city’s newly-formed Office of Emergency Management, OEM.

Sheirer died Jan. 19, 2012. Part of his remarkable legacy will live on through the 9/11 Memorial Museum’s permanent collection. In addition to his oral history, he also donated to the collection the OEM helmet he wore on 9/11.

David Beamer – Father of Victim Todd Beamer
David Beamer remembers his son, Todd, through StoryCorps. Todd, a New Jersey resident, was heard rallying other passengers on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in an empty field outside Shanksville, Pa., on 9/11 with the phrase, "Let's roll." Thanks to the bravery of Todd and the rest of the passengers and crew, Flight 93 never reached its intended target, saving countless lives.