John Palmer oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 10, 2010

About

John was a member of the NYPD as a crime scene detective at the 111th Precinct before 9/11. He was at home on the morning of 9/11 (out sick) and recalled a "gorgeous day-picture perfect." As soon as he heard of the attack, he went to Ground Zero. When he arrived, he realized right away that there would not be a lot of survivors. He saw vast amounts of women's shoes everywhere and a lot of papers in the surrounding areas. He became concerned about his brother, who worked on Wall Street, and his family. He went home after four hours at the site to be with his wife and daughter. John returned to Ground Zero and worked at the pile, the morgue, and eventually at the Fresh Kills Landfill for a few months until he retired in June of 2002. He thought he was immune to death after working in the Crime Scene Unit for so many years but was unprepared and awed by the devastation he witnessed at Ground Zero. John described the landfill as gruesome and tough work; human remains were mixed in with cement. He was amazed to find a Christmas ornament in the rubble and giant cow bones from the restaurant at the WTC. When there was rain, the ground would bubble from methane. He worked 12-hour shifts at the landfill with a four-hour commute leaving him exhausted. After a time, he did not want to go to work anymore.

Archive

Library of Congress, in Library of Congress

Licence or status

Rights statement at the Library of Congress, as the Library of Congress states it.

Credit

Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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