Bob Nesoff oral history interview conducted by Christina Rodriguez, October 21, 2014

About

On September 11th, Bob worked for the Bergen County Sheriff's Department, specializing in communications. Bob arrived at the site later that evening. On the way there, people jumped out onto the Westside Highway holding up signs saying "God Bless you, you are our heroes." Ambulances were backed in alongside the Javits Center and his brother, who is a doctor, was sent away because there were no victims to treat. He remembers the dust being so thick that you couldn't see anything. The paper mask he was given didn't do anything. Working on the pile was "a surreal thing knowing that there were bodies in there." Bob saw tents from as far away as Israel and recalled people driving down from Canada. Bob recounts the consequences of working down at Ground Zero when he speaks about his friend Jimmy Zadroga. Jimmy worked countless hours on the pile. Jimmy would push his daughter in the stroller, with his oxygen tank lying in the back. Jimmy passed away at the age of 32. Bob says the city turned its back on Jimmy and didn't give him and his family what they deserved. Bob's grandson Matt, who is 17 years old, accompanied his grandfather to the Oral History Project interview. During the grand opening of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, Matt shot a video with his grandfather's camera, capturing the event. Bob says, "The video captures the humanity of those who died, those who helped, and the inhumanity of those that celebrated."

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Credit

Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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