Excerpts of Ronald King oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 18, 2010

About

Ronald King, originally from Guyana, came to the United States in 1979. He was a construction supervisor in New York City. King’s experience living in the United States has been positive. He is grateful for the opportunities that the country has given him, especially given the material poverty with which he grew up in Guyana. The tragedy of 9/11, for King, was that someone could do so much harm to a country that had given him so much. On 9/11, King was on 14th Street. When the first plane hit the Twin Towers, he thought it was an accident. When the second plane hit, he needed to stop working and to go home. However, after watching the events on television, King was compelled to go back to the World Trade Center. While there, he witnessed body bags exiting the World Trade Center and saw firefighters who lost friends. King says that seeing 9/11 on television was different than seeing it first-hand. For King, witnessing the event made him feel knots in his stomach, anger, and uncertainty. He does not regret going to Ground Zero on 9/11 -- he says he would do it again, should there be another attack. He argues that the strength of the United States is not its military, but its people and its compassion. He would give his life for the United States.

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Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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