John Jagoda oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, April 8, 2020

About

On the morning of 9/11, John, an EMT, drove an ambulance to the World Trade Center and began bringing the first round of injured people to the hospital. Many of his friends went into the buildings and never came out. It was the worst day of his life. John rotated between the morgue and the pile, all while encountering unrecognizable materials and unimaginable sights. It was over eighteen hours before he could contact his family and they were relieved that he survived. John was at the site for six days straight after the attack and felt he was on the verge of breaking down. He felt angry at home and unable to control his emotions. The constant question of why he survived, and his friends died constantly haunted him. He found himself in a dark place and was unable to return to work. Even with support from family, his department, and medical professionals, nothing brought relief. The most helpful resource he utilizes is talking with other first responders. He admits that he might not be here today if it wasn't for the other responders sharing their lives with him. John also experienced shooting pains in his head, sleep apnea, severe neck pain, spinal issues, multiple heart attacks, and a rare autoimmune disease that destroyed his sinuses. He was forced to retire early due to heart issues and he wishes he could still be helping people right now.

Human-made No record of this work says a model made it. What this means.

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

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed