Charles Wilson oral history interview conducted by Amanda Mancuso, September 30, 2014

About

Charlie was a sergeant in the NYPD on 9/11. He gathered a team of officers and went straight to the World Trade Center. There was chaos on the streets. As they got closer to the site, they began to see wounded people. They had to park their van and proceed on foot. Many people were walking in a daze. They were burned, wearing suits, and still holding their briefcases. Charlie and his men were right outside the second tower when the second plane hit. They took cover under scaffolding, and an airplane engine landed half a block away. They were ordered to Vesey Street to establish a secure spot and started to see people jumping from the building. They had to take cover to avoid getting hit by the bodies. One officer was trying to say a prayer for each jumper, and Charlie had to tell him to stop because it was too much. Charlie worked until 2:00 am, slept at the precinct for two hours, and then went back. It was like a war zone, with two inches of dust, paper, and debris to wade through. He was climbing through metal and searching the pile, knowing there were people under there and just hoping for the best. When the buildings came down and he was caught in the plume, it "felt like you were body surfing in the ocean," and it was a month before he realized he had broken his back. He was in constant pain, but didn't think too much about it. He finally got checked out and two years later had surgery to fuse his spine. He knew NYPD Officer Moira Smith, the only female police officer…

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Library of Congress

Language

English

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United States

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