James oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, July 27, 2020

About

James was in the NYPD's Emergency Services Unit at the time of 9/11. When he arrived at the site, the first tower had already collapsed and there was an unbelievable amount of blinding smoke and dust. His feet were covered with blisters, scalded by the intense heat at Ground Zero. Despite his injuries, James tightened up his boots and continued searching for survivors until 6:00 pm. Due to a broken foot, James did not return to the site until November 2001. He was assigned to light duty but insisted upon returning to the pile. He noted that the debris was still burning over one month later. He continued his weekly work as a police officer, with half of his time allocated to patrol work, and the other half allocated to helping on the pile. On his days off, James felt a calling to continue to help, and so he went to the pile on those days as well for fourteen to sixteen-hour shifts. The work was tough and disheartening. Finding remains in the pile was vitally important in bringing closure to the families of victims, including the families of many officers that he knew personally. His long shifts put a strain on his family, leaving him little time to see them. James always remains vigilant, but he tries not to live his life in a state of fear. He has not been able to speak with anyone about his 9/11 experience until this interview. James' son now proudly serves as an officer in the NYPD, representing the fourth generation of his family to hold that position.

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