We are pleased to present the next program in our When the World Changes digital conversation series at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, October 26.

We welcome Fran Moore, Director for Intelligence (now Analysis) at the Central Intelligence Agency (2010–2014), for our digital program “In Pursuit of Justice: Integrating Intelligence.” Moore will discuss how collaboration within the intelligence community, and with the armed forces, helped bring Osama bin Laden to justice.

This program is presented in partnership with the Central Intelligence Agency.

Those watching at 911memorial.org/watch will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A. Programs in the When the World Changes series will be captioned.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

On Friday, June 19, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum continued its digital public program series When the World Changes with Jeh Johnson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2013–2017).

Secretary Johnson discussed crisis management during extreme circumstances and the role intelligence plays in the nation’s ability to respond to homeland security threats, including the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The conversation between Secretary Johnson and Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, happened to fall on Juneteenth. Secretary Johnson took a moment to share his perspective on the day and the African American experience in the U.S. in the clip below.

Read a transcript of Secretary Johnson's remarks.

For those who were unable to join the program live, you can stream the full program, and check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

While the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is temporarily closed, we are pleased to present the next program in our When the World Changes digital conversation series on at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 19.

It is our distinct honor to welcome Secretary Jeh Johnson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2013–2017) to our digital program “Homeland Security in a Time of Crisis,” in which he will share his perspectives on crisis management during extreme circumstances and the role intelligence plays in the nation’s ability to respond to homeland security threats, including the current COVID-19 pandemic.

A 9/11 Memorial & Museum board member, Secretary Johnson, served as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense from 2009 through 2012. In this role, he helped to create the legal framework for counterterrorism missions, including the 2011 Abbottabad compound raid that killed Osama bin Laden. More details on the raid, and the nearly 10 years of preparation that lead to it, can be found in our digital exhibition Revealed: The Hunt for Bin Laden.

Under Secretary Johnson’s leadership, DHS was responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, administration and enforcement of our immigration laws, protection of our national leaders, protection of critical infrastructure, detection of and protection against chemical, biological, and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to disasters.

Secretary Johnson has been outspoken about recent homeland security failings in response to COVID-19 and the civil unrest triggered by the murder of George Floyd, adding his voice in support of the retired four-star military generals that have publicly denounced putting active-duty military and military-type equipment on American streets.

On Monday, June 8, Secretary Johnson was named Special Adviser on Equal Justice in the Courts, a volunteer role, to lead an initiative to review the New York State court system’s response to issues of institutional racism.

This program will be live streamed, and live captioning will be available, at 911memorial.org/watch. Those tuning in will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A with Secretary Johnson.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

On Monday, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum continued its new digital public program series by welcoming Will Chesney, former Navy SEAL and author of the new book No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid.

In conversation with Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, Chesney described his time with the SEALs, the realities of dog training, and the essential role that dogs play in military operations. Chesney’s book, No Ordinary Dog, tells the story of Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog who who accompanied the two dozen Navy SEALs, including Chesney, who descended on Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound in May 2011.

In the video clip below, Chesney describes the realities of handling dogs as a SEAL.

“I needed a job and taking responsibility of the dog on target, dogs are like little kids sometimes. You're having to babysit the dog while doing your job as a SEAL, it is a lot of responsibility as well. You don't want to make a mistake while using your dog, could get somebody injured. A dog is a valuable tool that needs to be used properly. It is a huge responsibility to take that on and take care of the dog. Some guys want to and also, you know, sometimes the dog's not being utilized, you're not being used as well. So the way I looked at it though, I love dogs. I always had growing up and it was a good responsibility. It was another passion that I was drawn towards and if I had the chance of saving one of my guys from getting hurt or killed, that was -- all the training and time and effort would be completely worth it if I had just one opportunity.”

For those who were unable to join the program live, you can stream the full program, and check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Last month, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum launched a digital conversation series that advances our mission to commemorate, educate, and inspire during our temporary closure. The third program in this series will be “No Ordinary Dog,” with Will Chesney, former Navy SEAL and author of the new book No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Laden Raid, on Monday, June 8, at 3 p.m. (ET).

Two dozen Navy SEALs descended on Osama bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound in May 2011. After the mission, only one name was made public: Cairo, a Belgian Malinois and military working dog. In No Ordinary Dog, Will Chesney, Cairo’s handler, tells his remarkable story.

This program will be live streamed on 911memorial.org/watch. During the discussion between Will Chesney and Clifford Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, those watching will have the opportunity to submit questions via live chat.

Each program in this digital conversation series will deepen our collective understanding of 9/11’s continuing impact on the world today. Visit our past program archive to explore other moderated conversations and performances held at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Last month, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum launched a digital conversation series that advances our mission to commemorate, educate, and inspire during our temporary closure. The second program in this series will be “Rescue and Recovery,” with Dr. Kerry Kelly, former chief medical officer for the FDNY (1994–2018), on Friday, May 29, at 2 p.m. (ET).

During this program, which will be hosted ahead of our annual commemoration of the end of the nine-month rescue and recovery effort at Ground Zero on May 30, Dr. Kelly will discuss the FDNY’s response to the health concerns of first responders following the 9/11 attacks and the strides made in treatment of 9/11-related illnesses.

This program will be live streamed on 911memorial.org/watch. Following the discussion between Dr. Kelly and Clifford Chanin, Executive Vice President and Deputy Director for Museum Programs, those watching will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A.

Each program in this digital conversation series will deepen our collective understanding of 9/11's continuing impact on the world today. Visit our past program archive to explore other moderated conversations and performances held at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

On Friday, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum began an exciting new public program series hosted online where participants can submit questions to speakers during the conversation. Since we cannot gather during the temporary closure, this live medium allows us to continue the conversations that deepen our collective understanding of the ongoing impact of the 9/11 attacks.

This series kicked off with “Nine Years Later: Finding Osama Bin Laden,” a conversation between Robert Cardillo, former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and current fellow at Georgetown University, and Clifford Chanin, Executive Vice President and Deputy Director for Museum Programs.

During the program, Cardillo described his time in the Obama administration in the weeks leading to Operation Neptune Spear. He offered several observations about leadership and collaboration in the government that were shaped by the team’s experience of 9/11.

Cardillo said his mind often took him to “that beautiful September morning” (referring to September 11, 2001). The attacks created a unified objective in the government that bonded previously divided agencies in a single-minded purpose. That purpose inspired new forms of collaboration that enabled them to complete the mission for 9/11 victims’ families.

After discussing the anniversary of the raid, Cardillo explained the role of the intelligence community in addressing public health crisis like Ebola in 2013. The threefold purpose of his former agency, NGA, is to “know the Earth, show the way, and understand the world.” In a pandemic, intelligence plays an essential role in identifying changes in community-living patterns. These indicators can equip public health experts as they work to contain the spread and narrow the gap from the time people become symptomatic and receive a diagnosis.

In that work of information gathering, Cardillo reiterated his point that the United States has incredible capabilities and added that intelligence work guided by the principle of transparency and respect for the balance of civil liberties is healthy for democracy. 

For those who were unable to join the program live, you can stream the full program, and check 911memorial.org/programs to learn of forthcoming programs.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is pleased to launch a new, online public programs series that advances our mission to commemorate, educate, and inspire during our temporary closure. This series kicks off Friday, May 1, with “Nine Years Later: Finding Osama bin Laden.”

During this program, Robert Cardillo, former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), will offer an insider’s look at the pursuit for bin Laden. Given the current global pandemic, Cardillo will also reflect on the role of the intelligence community in response to widespread infectious disease, drawing on his experience during the Ebola outbreak of 2014.

This program will be live streamed on 911memorial.org/watch, beginning Friday, May 1, at 2 p.m. EST. Following the discussion between Cardillo and Clifford Chanin, Executive Vice President and Deputy Director for Museum Programs, those watching will have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A.

Each program in this online public programming series will deepen our collective understanding of 9/11's continuing impact on the world today. Visit our past program archive to explore other moderated conversations and performances held at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Last week, celebrated New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer participated in a public program at the 9/11 Memorial Museum as part of the “New York Stories” program series.

In conversation with Cliff Chanin, executive vice president and deputy director for museum programs, Meyer talked about his memories of September 11, 2001, and the day’s impact on the city.

Meyer, whose past and present portfolio includes classic New York City eateries such as Union Square Café, Eleven Madison Park, and Gramercy Tavern as well as the Shake Shack empire, remembers the now late New York Met Rusty Staub finding refuge in Union Square Café on 9/11.

“[Staub] was one of the hundreds and hundreds of people who just trekked uptown – and Union Square Café was the place he wanted to go,” said Meyer. “So he was one of the people who sought comfort there. We had people coming there who had planned to have lunch together and we saw a reunion, where people thought the other one had died because they had come from downtown.”

In the clip below, Meyer talks about the industry-wide initiative to breathe life back into New York City’s restaurant culture after the attacks, which served as a dual mission to heal a devastated city and keep the industry afloat:

“The first thing we had to do was address the emotional notion that you were doing something wrong to eat out. And we basically said that if you don’t spend time with people you love, going out, you will have let the terrorists win, because that’s what they wanted to do, was to disrupt life as we know it. And that the people who died won’t come back to life because you stayed home. And that loving each other and being with each other, human beings being with each other is why restaurants exist. The word hospitality is based on hope, the opposite of fear. And so we had to deal with that emotional issue first. And then we also had to make the economic case that the most patriotic thing you could do and the most civic thing you could do would be to somehow catalyze some type of an uptick in the economy here, because it wasn’t going to do anyone any good to see New York go out of business. And we were then trying to cascade our message to other cities. ‘Please have your meeting here,’ ‘Please show us that you support this city.’ New York was never closer than it was in those days.”

View the full program to hear Meyer reflect upon the restorative role of restaurants as sites of community and connection and find out more about the winter/spring 2020 public programming season at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

On Thursday, March 5, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum will host a public program featuring celebrated restaurateur Danny Meyer, who will reflect upon the impact of the 9/11 attacks on New York City and the restorative role of restaurants as sites of community and connection.

This program will be the fourth in the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s public programming series, “New York Stories.” This series welcomes prominent New Yorkers to the Museum to share their experiences of the city.

Meyer, whose past and present portfolio includes classic New York City eateries such as Union Square Café, Eleven Madison Park, and Gramercy Tavern as well as the Shake Shack empire, shares his own 9/11 experience as a midtown resident and business owner. As chair of the Restaurant Committee for NYC & Company in 2001, Meyer spearheaded an industry-wide initiative to breathe life back into New York City’s restaurant culture; a dual mission to serve a devastated city and keep the industry afloat.

Meyer shared the details of his 9/11 story in the second season of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s podcast OUR CITY. OUR STORY.

Tickets are still available for Thursday’s program. If you can’t join us in person, the full program will be livestreamed beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

By 9/11 Memorial Staff