Anthony Palmeri oral history interview conducted by Amanda Mancuso, June 16, 2014

About

On the morning of 9/11, Anthony was at work at the NYC Sanitation Department garage in uptown Manhattan. When it became clear that a major disaster had occurred, they were sent home. He headed to the George Washington Bridge, which was just about to be closed by the authorities. Anthony, at first reluctant, due to the events of the day, drove four strangers back to New Jersey. Anthony, a volunteer firefighter, went to his firehouse that day to get a sense of what the plan was. He felt he had to be down at Ground Zero. When he returned to work a few days later, he volunteered to go to the site. Anthony and his colleagues cleaned out stores, went to the pile to load steel beams onto the trucks, and cleaned up after Verizon built structures and cleared paths. They connected a firehose to a hydrant to wash ash off the buildings and streets. There was a strong sense of camaraderie. "It was like whatever good you have in your life, that's what it was like." He spent a lot of time in St. Paul's church. He describes it as "Heaven," a place to rest "before you go into Hell." Anthony spent nine months at Ground Zero, which he calls one of the greatest things he's ever done in his life. Today, in an effort to help people understand the event, he volunteers three to four times a month to give guided tours at the museum, giving visitors a sense of personal connection.

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Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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