Interview202049 min640×360

Stephen Donnelly oral history interview conducted by Laurel Gumpert, September 29, 2020

Gumpert, Laurel

History

At the Library of Congress

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About

On 9/11, Stephen was an officer in the NYPD. He was a few blocks away when the second plane hit the WTC and it seemed like a bomb exploding. When he heard of officers being injured from falling debris, Stephen went to the police station on Washington Street to gather helmets for distribution. His supervisor sent him to the overpass to make sure no one entered the area. A little while later, the first tower collapsed, and he took cover in another building nearby. Soon after, the second tower also collapsed, and he began evacuating people by boat to get away from a potential gas leak in the area. Stephen was taken to Jersey City on a boat, but decided to go back and continue the search for his friends. He found one of them, but continued to help other people get out of the city. During the recovery from 9/11, he worked twelve-hour shifts with very few days off while working in the morgue and assisting with other duties around the site. Stephen feels lucky that he survived this disaster. He never really speaks about 9/11, but he appreciates the opportunity to share his experience with the world in this interview. He felt a sense of unity during the recovery efforts that he never felt before or after 9/11, and he hopes this unity can return without another tragic event.

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
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