9/11 First Responders Memories To Be Made Part Of National Archives

Elected officials and Sept. 11 first responders announced Monday that the Library of Congress has agreed to accept more than 135 oral accounts of the 9/11 attacks into its permanent archives at a press conference held at Innovative Stone in Hauppauge.

“On Sept. 11, 2011, it won’t be hard for us to remember what happened 10 years ago, but the passage of time sometimes fades those memories,” said Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington. “That’s why the words of those who were there that day are so vital, those words have to be enshrined forever at the Library of Congress.”

Dr. Benjamin Luft, director of the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program at SUNY Stony Brook, has been collecting the first-hand accounts from 9/11 first responders as part of the federally sponsored 9/11 Oral History Project. The project grew out of his work at the Long Island WTC Health Center in Islandia, listening to stories of responders.

“Listening to the responders stories allows us to recollect the tragedy f 9/11. It causes us to reflect upon the courage and altruism of the responders, and thereby contemplate our own values and what is to be an American,” Luft said.

Project Manager Julie Broihier said researchers sit down with first responders, recovery and cleanup worker for one-hour interviews to discuss what happened on Sept. 11, 2011, their role and coping with the aftermath.

“One thing I stress is they can stop the interview at any time or choose not to answer a question,” Broihier said. “We really try to just let the responder talk.”

These first-hand accounts are saved on HD video, unedited, and transcribed to create a living memory of the event.  Dr. Luft has also compiled some memoirs into a book, “We’re Not Leaving” released on Aug. 3.

“The stories that are being told now by Dr. Luft’s book, video and interviews are pure human emotion, the truth. No editing. The powerful stories of what they had to do and had to overcome these past 10 years and it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Nesconset resident John Feal, a 9/11 first responder and founder of the FealGood Foundation.

The 9/11 First Responders Oral History Project will become part of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Feal was joined by 9/11 first responders John Devlin and Ken George in supporting the project.

“When this anniversary is over, when you guys are done writing pages and stories, you have to leave one page blank. That’s the unknown. That’s what the 9/11 responder has to face every day,” Devlin said.