Interview202042 min640×360

Michael Gerbasi oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, September 22, 2020

Gumpert, Laurel

History

At the Library of Congress

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About

On the morning of 9/11, Michael had been in the NYPD for about three years and was in a patrol car when he heard an explosion and saw a hole in the WTC. As a child, Michael spent a lot of time at the WTC because his father worked there, so he was familiar with the area. He immediately called his father's beeper to let him know he was responding. Michael began getting as many people as he could out of the building. He wanted to go back in to look for his friend's father, who worked in the WTC, but he was ordered to stay outside and prevent anyone from going in. He then saw another explosion at the second tower, and debris began falling. Michael started to run away, but he was hit by something and noticed blood pouring down the right side of his body. He was numb and in shock, but he could see his bloody arm hanging off his body. He managed to find an ESU officer and asked for help. The next thing he remembers is being in the ambulance with his partner. After going into surgery, Michael woke up to the news about the towers and he could not believe that they were gone. Michael left the hospital on 09/21/2001, but he had a long recovery ahead of him. The object that hit him went through his arm, shattered the bone, and exited, but the doctors believed his arm would heal. They inserted screws and pins to stabilize the bone, but he couldn't move his arm by himself. Both the physical recovery and the mental healing were difficult. He would have flashbacks and wake up screaming in…

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
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