Alan Schwartz oral history interview conducted by Amanda Mancuso, July 16, 2014, June 3, 2016

About

Alan was a member of the FDNY on 9/11. When he heard of the attacks, he immediately went to the site, arriving a couple of hours after the second tower collapsed. He could not comprehend what was going on around him. Fire and smoke were everywhere, and there was utter chaos. Alan did what he could to help, digging and digging for anything, anyone. Around 5:00 pm, he went to the firehouse. Alan's engine company had been one of the first to respond and, unfortunately, many of his colleagues were nowhere to be found. Fifteen of their own lost their lives on that horrific day. Alan remained at the firehouse, where he answered the phone all day. "People were frantic," he remembers, just looking for any information on the status of their loved ones. Sadly, Alan rarely had any information to give. Alan plays the bagpipes in the FDNY Pipes and Drums Band. He has played at countless memorials and funerals and continues to play to this day. He volunteers at the 9/11 Memorial Walking Tours. He hopes that talking about his personal experience will help others to remember and understand the events of that day.

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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