# George oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, June 23, 2020

On the morning of 09/11/2001, George was on the phone with his daughter, who worked close to the WTC, when she noticed sirens and smoke. An EMT with a volunteer fire department on Long Island, George was called in to respond to the attacks on 9/11 and sent to the Belmont Racetrack where other ambulances and fire trucks were stationed. He waited for most of the day until being told that ambulance crews weren't needed. After several days, he went on his own to see the destruction at the site. George spent over four months working there helping clean wounds of the firefighters and assisting with the recovery effort. There was an eerie feeling when they found remains and silent respect was paid each time. George was very involved with the Tribute Museum, helping bring in artifacts to be shown on display and becoming a docent. He visits the site every year on 9/11 to pay respect to those that did not make it out alive. Like many others, George is still facing health impacts from 9/11, and it upsets him that so many good people are sick because they wanted to help during a disaster. The experience strengthened his faith and inspired him to become a firefighter chaplain. He remembers the sadness and the pain that they all brought home to their families and he wants to help others work through those emotions. Even though the unity during 9/11 has faded, George wants the memory to be kept alive so people can see how NYC was rebuilt after such a tragedy. He gives out pins with 9/11…

- Kind: Interview
- Year: 2020
- Runtime: 57 min
- By: Gumpert, Laurel
- Genres: History
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2015048_446/)
- 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_446?play=1)