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

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.

- Kind: Interview
- Year: 2020
- Runtime: 1 h 2 min
- By: Jagoda, John
- Genres: History
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2015048_423/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/afc2015048_423?play=1)