>>> I'M HOLLY WILLIAMS REPORTING FOR "60 MINUTES." AT 10:00 THIS MORNING QUEEN ELIZABETH II BEGAN HER FINAL
JOURNEY. FROM HER FAVORITE HOME, BALMORAL CASTLE IN THE SCOTTISH COUNTRYSIDE, THE QUEEN'S CORTEGE
TRAVELED TO EDINBURGH, WHERE SHE'LL LIE IN REST UNTIL TUESDAY BEFORE MOVING TO LONDON. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ARE
EXPECTED TO PAY THEIR LAST RESPECTS. THE BRITISH MONARCH WHO REIGNED FOR OVER 70 YEARS PASSED AWAY ON
THURSDAY. JUST TWO DAYS EARLIER SHE'D MET WITH BRITAIN'S NEW PRIME MINISTER AS SHE HAD WITH EVERY
PRIME MINISTER GOING BACK TO WINSTON CHURCHILL. FOR DECADES SHE WAS ARGUABLY THE GLUE THAT UNITED THIS KINGDOM.
AT 96 SHE'D BEEN FRAIL FOR MONTHS. BUT OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE A SHOCKED CROWD IMMEDIATELY
GATHERED. >> I, CHARLES III -- >> Reporter: KING CHARLES III WAS OFFICIALLY PROCLAIMED THE
NEW SOVEREIGN YESTERDAY. THE DEATH OF THEIR GRANDMOTHER BROUGHT ESTRANGED BROTHERS PRINCES WILLIAM AND HARRY
TOGETHER AGAIN, BRIEFLY AT LEAST. IN HIS FIRST ADDRESS TO THE NATION AS KING CHARLES BORROWED
FROM SHAKESPEARE TO BID HIS MOTHER FAREWELL. >> MAY FLIGHTS OF ANGELS SING THEE TO THY REST.
>> Reporter: AFTER A STATE FUNERAL ON MONDAY THE 19th QUEEN ELIZABETH WILL BE LAID TO REST ALONGSIDE HER LATE HUSBAND,
PRINCE PHILIP, AT WINDSOR CASTLE JUST OUTSIDE LONDON. AND NOW, "60 MINUTES."
>>> WHAT AM I DOING ON THIS -- >> 21 YEARS AGO THEY ANSWERED THE CALL. >> EVERY AVAILABLE AMBULANCE.
EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT. THE WORLD TRADE CENTER NOW! >> WE KNEW THERE COULD BE UP TO 20,000, 25,000 PEOPLE IN EACH
BUILDING. >> I'M ON THE 83rd FLOOR AND IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY HOT. >> EVERY FIREFIGHTER SAW THE
FLAMES, AND THEY LOOKED INTO THEIR OWN HEARTS. >> STAY TOGETHER. STAY TOGETHER.
>> THAT'S WHEN I SAID TO PETE, PETE, THIS WILL BE THE WORST DAY OF OUR LIVES. AND YOU KNOW, THAT WAS BEFORE I
KNEW THE HALF OF IT. >> MAYDAY! MAYDAY! WE
COLLAPSE. >> AND IN THE DARKNESS I WONDERED IF I WAS DEAD OR ALIVE. >> HEY, PETE!
CHIEF HAYDEN! >> TONIGHT -- >> THE WORLD TRADE CENTER COLLAPSED.
>> THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. AND THE GREATEST ACT OF GALLANT GALLANTRY EVER BESTOWED ON AN
AMERICAN CITY. >> I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S IN A HISTORY BOOK, THAT A PAGE IS TURNED AND
WE'RE FORGOTTEN. >> I'M LESLEY STAHL. >> I'M BILL WHITAKER. >> I'M ANDERSON COOPER.
>> I'M SHARYN ALFONSI. >> I'M JON WERTHEIM. >> I'M SCOTT PELLEY. THAT STORY TONIGHT ON "60
MINUTES." >>> IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF NEW YORK THERE ARE 217 FIRE HOUSES. EACH HOLDS A MEMORIAL TO
FIREFIGHTERS WHO ANSWERED THE CALL 21 YEARS AGO AND NEVER RETURNED. AS WE FIRST TOLD YOU LAST
SEPTEMBER, 343 MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK PERISHED ON 9/11, IN THE GREATEST ACT OF GALLANTRY
EVER BESTOWED ON AN AMERICAN CITY. THIS IS THEIR STORY. >> THIS PLANE RACED PAST US
ALONG THE HUDSON RIFF AT SUCH A LOW ALTITUDE, I COULD READ "AMERICAN" ON THE FUSELAGE. >> Reporter: AT 8:46 THAT
MORNING BATTALION CHIEF JOE PFEIFFER WAS BLOCKS AWAY SEARCHING FOR A ROUTINE GAS LEAK.
>> I SAW THE PLANE AIM AND CRASH INTO THE NORTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. >> HOLY [ BLEEP ]!
>> Reporter: FROM THAT MOMENT THE FIEVTS OF FDNY WOULD HAVE ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO SAVE 17,000 LIVES.
>> THEY KNEW THAT THEY MIGHT NOT COME HOME, BUT THEY KNEW THERE WERE PEOPLE TRAPPED. THAT'S OUR JOB.
>> THERE'S NO WAY WE WOULD STAND BACK AND SAY WE'RE NOT GOING IN. THAT WOULDN'T BE THE FDNY. >> OUR AIM WAS TO GET ABOVE THAT
FIRE AND GET THOSE POOR PEOPLE OUT THAT WERE CALLING US. >> WE'RE ON THE FLOOR AND WE CAN'T BREATHE.
AND IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY HOT. >> AND ALL THE DISPATCHER COULD SAY IS WE'RE COMING FOR YOU. SO WE LIKE TO KEEP OUR PROMISES,
YOU KNOW. WE TOLD THEM WE'RE COMING. WE'RE COMING. >> Reporter: JOE PFEIFER WAS
COMING FROM W. I CAMERA. FILMMAKERS JULES AND GIDEON NODAY WERE MAKING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE FDNY.
>> OH, MY GOD. >> WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FLOORS ON FIRE. IT LOOKED LIKE THE PLANE WAS
AIMING TOWARDS THE BUILDING. >> THE WORLD TRADE CENTER TOWER NUMBER 1 IS ON FIRE. >> ENGINE 1, WORLD TRADE CENTER,
1060. SEND EVERY AVAILABLE AMBULANCE, EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER NOW!
>> Reporter: DISPATCH LAUNCHED AN ARMADA. >> ENGINE 211, LADDER 11. ENGINE 44, ENGINE 22.
ENGINE 53. >> Reporter: 121 ENGINES. 62 LADDER COMPANIES. 100 AMBULANCES.
750 MEMBERS OF THE FDNY. >> ATTENTION 68 ENGINE. 35 EPIGIN. 50 ENGINE.
-64 ENGINE. 94 ENGINE. 83 ENGINE. >> Reporter: AT FDNY
HEADQUARTERS IN BROOKLYN 54-YEAR-OLD CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT PETER GANSEY JR. RACED TO HIS CAR.
HE WAS THE BOSS LEADING THE SECOND LARGEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE WORLD AFTER TOKYO. DAN NIGRO WAS HIS NUMBER TWO.
>> SO WE WENT DOWNSTAIRS QUICKLY, GOT IN THE CAR AND HEADED OVER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WHERE WE COULD SEE THE DAMAGE,
SEE THE SMOKE, SEE THE FIRE. THAT'S WHEN I SAID TO PETE, PETE, THIS WILL BE THE WORST DAY OF OUR LIVES.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT WAS BEFORE I KNEW THE HALF OF IT. >> CAR 3 TO MANHATTAN. >> Reporter: PETE GANSEY'S VOICE
WAS RECORDED EN ROUTE. >> TRANSFER TO FIFTH. GET US A STAGING AREA SOMEWHERE ON WEST STREET.
>> Reporter: A BOX IS A LOCATION. K SIGNALS THE END OF A MESSAGE. A THROWBACK TO THE 19th CENTURY
TELEGRAPH, WHICH ON THIS DAY WAS PUNCTUATING THE GREATEST CRISIS IN THE DEPARTMENT'S 136 YEARS. >> RIGHT AWAY I GOT A DEEP SENSE
THAT WE WERE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF FIREFIGHTERS THIS DAY. >> Reporter: DIVISION 1 COMMANDER PETER HAYDEN MET
BATTALION CHIEF JOE PPFEIFFER IN THE LOBBY OF THE BURNING TOWER. >> I KNEW WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE.
SO THE ORDER OF THE DAY WAS TO SEARCH AND EVACUATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE COULD. AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO BACK
AWAY. >> Reporter: THE FIRE WAS 93 FLOORS ABOVE. ELEVATORS WERE OUT.
SO FIREFIGHTERS CLIMBED TIGHT STAIRWELLS, SHOULDERING 75 POUNDS AND MORE. >> AND I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE
ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT AND EVERYBODY THAT WAS ABOVE THE IMPACT OF THE PLANE, WE WERE PRETTY MUCH SURE WERE EITHER
DEAD ALREADY OR GOING TO DIE. THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE JUMPING OUT ALREADY. >> Reporter: 1,355 PEOPLE WERE
TRAPPED ABOVE THE FIRE. THE BOEING 767 HAD SEVERED ALL THREE STAIRWELLS, LEAVING ONE WAY OUT.
>> JUMPERS. JUMPERS. >> DIVISION 1, BE ADVISED BATTALION 2 ADVISED WE HAVE
JUMPERS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. >> WE HEARD A LOUD THUD. AND I KNEW THAT WAS SOMEBODY
THAT EITHER FELL OR JUMPED FROM THE BUILDING. >> Reporter: THE FIRST FIREFIGHTER KILLED WAS HIT BY A
FELLOW HUMAN BEING. >> IT WAS HAPPENING SO RAPIDLY THAT I GRABBED THE P.A. SYSTEM AT THE FIRE COMMAND POST AND I
SAID "THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE COMING. IF YOU CAN HOLD ON." [ BANG ]
>> IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAUNT US PROBABLY FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. >> Reporter: TOUR COMMANDER SAL
CASSANO HAD ARRIVED PRECISELY 17 MINUTES AFTER THE NORTH TOWER WAS HIT. >> JUST AS I GOT OUT OF MY CAR,
I HEARD ANOTHER EXPLOSION. AND I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TIME IT WAS. IT WAS 9:03.
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE PLANE THAT HIT THE SOUTH TOWER. >> WE HAVE A SECOND PLANE INTO THE UNDERTOWER OF THE TRADE
CENTER. >> MAYDAY MAYDAY. ENGINE -- ANOTHER PLANE HIT THE SECOND TOWER.
K. >> Reporter: THE SECOND 767 EXPLODED INTO FLOORS 77 THROUGH 85.
NOW 2,000 PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED A QUARTER MILE HIGH. CASSANO RAN INTO THE DEPARTMENT CHAPLAIN, MICHAEL JUDGE.
>> AND I JUST TOLD HIM FATHER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BAD DAY, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE CHAPLAINS HERE.
>> MORE AND MORE FIREFIGHTERS KEPT COMING IN. AND THEY TOOK THEIR ASSIGNMENTS WITH NO QUESTION.
YEAH. PRETTY TOUGH TO DO. >> BUT IT'S ALSO HARD TO GIVE THEM THOSE ASSIGNMENTS.
└> IT WAS. IT WAS. BUT YOU KNOW, BUT I COULD TELL WHEN I GAVE THE ASSIGNMENTS OUT,
I COULD SEE THE LOOK IN THEIR EYES. I REMEMBER SEEING FIREFIGHTERS HUGGING EACH OTHER AND HEADING
UP. >> HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS DID YOU SEE THAT DAY REFUSE TO GO UP THE STAIRS?
>> NOBODY REFUSED TO GO IN. >> STAY TOGETHER. >> I CAN REMEMBER ONE LIEUTENANT FROM ENGINE 33 COMING UP TO ME
AND NOT SAYING A WORD. AND WE STOOD THERE WONDERING IF WE WERE BOTH GOING TO BE OKAY. AND THAT LIEUTENANT WAS MY
BROTHER KEVIN. AND THEN I TOLD HIM WHAT I TOLD MANY OF THE OTHER FIRE OFFICERS. I SAID GO UP TO THE 70th FLOOR.
>> Reporter: 70, THEY HOPED, COULD BE A STAGING AREA IN THE NORTH TOWER. IN LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR THE
FDNY HAD RESCUE OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH TOWER, THE SOUTH TOWER, AND THE NEARLY SOLD-OUT, 800-ROOM HOTEL BETWEEN THEM.
>> FROM THE TIME THE FIRST PLANE HIT THE NORTH TOWER UNTIL THE SECOND THE TOWER COLLAPSED WAS 102 MINUTES.
THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH PETE'S MIND IN JUST 102 MINUTES IS JUST MIND-BOGGLING. >> Reporter: SAL CASSANO WAS
WITH CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT PETE GANSEY AT HIS COMMAND POST ON THE STREET BELOW THE TOWERS. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN PICTURE
OF GANSEY THAT DAY. >> WAS GANSEY THE KIND OF BOSS THAT YOU DID THINGS FOR BECAUSE YOU FEARED HIM OR BECAUSE YOU
DESPERATELY DID NOT WANT TOO LET HIM DOWN? >> YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU LOVED HIM.
>> Reporter: GANSEY JOINED THE FDNY IN 1968. >> WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS PETER GANN
GANCI? >> PETE -- I GUESS PEOPLE WOULD SAY HE'S MY ALTER EGO. HAD A CHEST FULL OF MEDALS.
AND HE WAS JUST A DOWN TO EARTH, HONEST, HARD-WORKING GUY. YOU KNOW, HE WAS A PARATROOPER IN THE ARMY, WORKED HIS WAY UP
TO BE CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT IN THE FDNY. QUITE A STORY. >> A STORY OF COURAGE OVER HIS
33-YEAR CAREER. >> HE WON THE DEPARTMENT'S MEDAL OF VALOR CRAWLING INTO A BURNING APARTMENT ON HIS HANDS AND
KNEES, GRABBING A CHILD WHO WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO DIE, AND DRAGGING THAT CHILD OUT AND SAVING HER LIFE.
>> THAT'S THE KIND OF PERSON PETE WAS. HE WOULD PUT PEOPLE BEFORE HIMSELF WITHOUT A DOUBT.
>> Reporter: HE PUT HIS FIREFIGHTERS BEFORE HIMSELF THREE MONTHS BEFORE 9/11. GANCI, THE CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT,
RESPONDED FROM HOME TO A CALL OF FIREFIGHTERS TRAPPED IN A BURNING STORE. HE WENT IN WEARING SHORTS AND
BOAT SHOES. HE ONCE SAID HIS 11,000 FIREFIGHTERS WERE HIS CHILDREN. ON THAT DAY IN QUEENS HE LOST
THREE. ON 9/11 THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR FIREFIGHTER SAFETY WAS CHIEF AL TURRI, WHO WAS TORMENTED BY THE
PASSING MINUTES. >> LET IT BURN UP. >> Reporter: HE ASKED PETE HAYDEN IF HE HAD CONSIDERED THE
THREAT OF A PARTIAL LOCAL OOIGZEDOOIGZ PSE ED IZED COLLAPSE ON THE BURNING
FLOORS. >> I SAID YES. BUT WE NEEDED TO GET THE PEOPLE OUT.
THERE WERE HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMING DOWN THE INTERIOR STAIRS. >> HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU TI YOU
HAD? >> I THOUGHT WE HAD A COUPLE OF HOURS. >> Reporter: THE CHIEFS KNEW NO
STEEL HIGH-RISE IN HISTORY HAD EVER COMPLETELY COLLAPSED DUE TO FIRE. >> NONE OF US EXPECTED THE
BUILDING TO COME DOWN. WE EXPECTED THE FIRE TO KEEP BURNING AND CONDITIONS TO GET WORSE.
BUT IF WE COULD JUST GET ONE ROUTE ABOVE IN EACH BUILDING PERHAPS WE COULD BRING SOME FOLKS DOWN AT LEAST.
>> YOU JUST NEEDED A LITTLE MORE TIME. >> WE JUST NEEDED TIME. >> Reporter: NO ONE WOULD DO
MORE WITH TIME THAN OREO PALMER. THAT'S HIM ON THE RIGHT WITH THE MUSTACHE. HE'S RECEIVING ORDERS TO GO TO
THE SOUTH TOWER TO TRY TO CLEAR A PATH TO THE TRAPPED SOULS CALLING 911. >> HOW MANY PEOPLE WHERE YOU'RE
AT RIGHT NOW? >> THERE'S LIKE FIVE PEOPLE HERE WITH ME. >> ALL ON THE 83rd FLOOR?
>> 83rd FLOOR. >> Reporter: 32-YEAR-OLD MELISSA DOY WAS SAYING THE HAIL MARY PRAYER WHEN 911 ANSWERED.
THE ONCE-ASPIRING BALLERINA WAS A MANAGER IN A FINANCIAL FIRM ON 83, ONE OF THE BURNING FLOORS IN THE SOUTH TOWER.
>> ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET SOMEBODY UP THERE? >> OF COURSE, MA'AM, WE'RE COMING UP.
>> WELL, THERE'S NO ONE HERE YET AND THE FLOOR IS COMPLETELY ENGULFED. WE'RE ON THE FLOOR AND WE CAN'T
BREATHE. AND IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY HOT. >> Reporter: THE OPERATOR WAS RIGHT.
SOMEONE WAS RISING TOWARD MELISSA DOY. OREO PALMER RAN MARATHONS AS A HOBBY.
>> BATTALION 7 LADDER 15. >> BATTALION 7 IS CHIEF PALMER. LADDER 15 IS A TEAM OF FIREFIGHTERS A FEW FLOORS BELOW.
>> WHAT HAVE YOU GOT UP THERE, CHIEF? >> I'M STILL IN STAIRWAY 74th FLOOR.
NO SMOKE OR FIRE PROBLEM. THE WALLS ARE BREACHED, SO BE CAREFUL. >> Reporter: THIS IS LADDER 15th
LIEUTENANT JOE LEVY. >> WE'RE ON 71. WE'RE COMING UP BEHIND YOU. >> Reporter: PALMER FOUND FIRE
MARSHAL RON BUCCA ON THE 75th FLOOR EVACUATING CIVILIANS. >> BATTALION 7, LADDER 15.
>> Reporter: PALMER HAD DISCOVERED THE ONLY INTACT STAIRWAY TO THE TOP OF THE SOUTH TOWER.
UNLIKE THE NORTH TOWER, THE SECOND PLANE HAD MISSED STAIRWAY A. >> GO UP 77 NOW.
B STAIR. I'LL BE RIGHT TO YOU. >> Reporter: IF PALMER COULD CLEAR THIS STAIRWELL, 619 SOULS
WOULD HAVE A WAY OUT. HE WAS FIVE FLOORS BELOW MELISSA DOY AND RISING. >> I'M GOING TO DIE, AREN'T I?
>> NO, NO, NO, NO. >> I'M GOING TO DIE. >> MA'AM, MA'AM, SAY YOUR PRAYERS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DIE. ZBLIEM GOING TO DIE. >> THINK POSITIVE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO HELP EACH OTHER GET OFF
THE FLOOR. >> WE HAVE ACCESS STAIRS GOING UP TO 79. >> I'M ON MY WAY UP, OREO.
>> I'M GOING TO DIE. >> STAY CALM, STAY CALM, STAY CALM, STAY CALM. >> OH, MY GOD.
>> YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, MA'AM. >> IT'S SO HOT. I'M BURNING UP.
>> THE ASCENT OF OREO PALMER AND PETER GANCI'S SACRIFICE, WHEN WE COME BACK.
>>> AN HOUR HAD PASSED SINCE THE ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BEGAN. IN THE SOUTH TOWER BATTALION 7
CHIEF OREO PALMER TOOK THE ONLY WORKING ELEVATOR AS HIGH AS IT WOULD GO. THEN HE LED THE MEN OF LADDER 15
ON A CLIMB FROM THE 40th FLOOR. PALMER WAS TRYING TO CLEAR A PATH TO 619 PEOPLE TRAPPED BY FIRE.
>> BATTALION 7, LADDER 15. >> Reporter: THIS IS PALMER'S RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM THE 78th FLOOR OF THE SOUTH TOWER.
HE'S CALLING THE FIREFIGHTERS OF LADDER 15 WHO ARE COMING UP WITH RESCUE GEAR FROM A FEW FLOORS BELOW.
>> Reporter: 1045 CODE 1s ARE FATALITIES. MORE THAN HE COULD COUNT. PALMER PRESSED TOWARD 79.
CLIMBING AT ABOUT ONE FLOOR A MINUTE. AS HE ROSE, MELISSA DOI SPEAKING TO 911 FROM THE 83rd FLOOR
THOUGHT SHE HEARD SOMEONE. >> HELP! HELP! >> HELL, MISS?
>> HELP! OH, MY GOD. FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANYBODY HERE ON THE 83rd FLOOR.
>> MA'AM, YOU STAY ON THE FLOOR WITH ME. >> CAN YOU FIND OUT IF THERE'S SOMEBODY ON THE 383rd FLOOR?
>> WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SHOULD HEARD. BUT HEARING NO ANSWER TO HER SHOUT MELISSA DOI RETURNED TO
THE CALL. >> CAN YOU -- CAN YOU STAY ON THE LINE WITH ME, PLEASE? I FEEL LIKE I'M DYING.
>> ORIO PALMER KNEW HOW DANGEROUS THIS WAS. AND HE DIDN'T STOP. LADDER 15 KNEW HOW DANGEROUS IT
WAS. BUT WE NEVER THOUGHT THAT AN ENTIRE HIGH-RISE BUILDING WOULD COLLAPSE.
THERE WAS NO HISTORY OF IT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. >> Reporter: BUT THIS DAY HISTORY WAS CHANGING BECAUSE THE
PLANES HAD BLASTED AWAY THE SPRAY-ON FIREPROOF FOAM INSULATING THE STRUCTURAL STEEL. THE BURNING FLOORS WERE SAGGING,
SLOWLY PULLING THE EXTERIOR INWARD. EMS DIVISION CHIEF JOHN PERUGGIA WAS IN THE CITY EMERGENCY
OPERATIONS CENTER, WHERE HE RECEIVED A WARNING FROM AN OFFICIAL HE BELIEVES WAS AN ENGINEER.
>> HE SAID THE BUILDINGS ARE SEVERELY COMPROMISED, YOU CAN SEE SLIGHT LEAN, THEY'RE IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE.
SO I GRABBED ONE OF MY STAFF GUYS, EMT RICH CERILLA. AND I SAID RICH, GO TO PETE GANCI, DON'T TALK TO ANYONE
ELSE, AND DELIVER THIS MESSAGE. THE BUILDINGS ARE IN DANGER OF COLLAPSE. >> Reporter: IN THIS FOUR-SECOND
VIDEO, AT FAR LEFT YOU SEE RICH ZERILLO'S BLUE SHIRT. HE'S DELIVERING THE WARNING TO PETE GANCI.
ZERILLO HARDLY GOT THE WORDS OUT WHEN GANCI'S ATTENTION WAS DRAWN TO A ROAR FROM THE SOUTH TOWER ABOVE HIM.
>> LOUD NOISE. HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS. ALL WE SAW WAS A PLUME OF DUST AND SMOKE AND DEBRIS.
>> Reporter: IN THE MOMENT BEFORE, MELISSA DOI HAD GIVEN THE 911 OPERATOR HER MOTHER'S PHONE NUMBER AND THE MESSAGE
THAT HER DAUGHTER LOVED HER. THEN THERE WAS SILENCE. MELISSA, PLEASE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE FINE. YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOUR MOTHER YOURSELF. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO STAY POSITIVE.
YOU'VE GOT TO STAY CALM. YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOUR MOTHER YOURSELF. ALL RIGHT?
MELISSA? >> PALMER'S LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION WAS BATTALION 7 TO LADDER 15, AND THERE'S NOTHING
AFTER THAT. THAT'S WHEN THE TOWER COLLAPSES. HE MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT WITH EVERY STEP HE ASCENDED HIS
CHANCE OF SURVIVAL DROPPED. >> DIDN'T DETER HIM ONE BIT. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS IN HIS MIND WAS LET ME GET UP THERE,
LET ME GET AS MANY PEOPLE OUT AS I CAN, AS QUICKLY AS I CAN. >> Reporter: JOE PFEIFER, NEXT DOOR IN THE NORTH TOWER, WAS 200
FEET FROM THE CASCADING TWIN. >> AND THEN THE LOBBY GOES PITCH BLACK. >> EVERYBODY ALL RIGHT?
>> YEAH, I'M OKAY. >> AND IN THE DARKNESS I WONDERED IF I WAS DEAD OR ALIVE. >> WE'VE GOT TO GET EVERYBODY
OUT! LET'S GO! >> AND I GOT ON MY RADIO AND I SAID, COMMAND TO ALL UNITS IN
TOWER 1. >> EVACUATE THE BUILDING. >> JOE PFEIFER WAS GIVING THE ORDER TO EVACUATE.
AND ONE OF THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLING MY NAME. >> CHIEF! CHIEF HAYDEN!
>> HE SAYS WE HAVE SOMEBODY DOWN. >> I FELT SOMEBODY AT MY FEET. AND I SAW THIS WAS OUR
FIREFIGHTER DEPARTMENT CHAPLAIN, FATHER MICHAEL JUDGE. I REMOVED HIS WHITE COLLAR. I CHECKED FOR HIS PULSE AND
BREATHING BREATHING. AND HE HAD NONE. AND I KNEW HE WAS GONE.
>> SEVERAL OF US PICKED HIM UP AND WE CARRIED HIM OUT. THE EMTs THAT HAD TAKEN HIM ACTUALLY TOOK HIM NOT TO THE
MORGUE BUT THEY TOOK HIM TO ST. PETER CLAVA WHICH IS A CATHOLIC CHURCH A LITTLE NORTH OF THE TRADE CENTER.
AND THEY LAID HIM ON THE ALTAR. AND THEY CALLED UP THE FRANCISCAN PRIESTS TO COME DOWN AND GET HIM.
>> TOWER 2 HAS A MAJOR EXPLOSION AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A COMPLETE COLLAPSE. >> HAVE THEM MOBILIZE THE ARMY.
WE NEED THE ARMY IN MANHATTAN! >> THERE WAS A RUSH OF DUST WITH HIGH PRESSURE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WITH FORCE THAT I'VE NEVER
EXPERIENCED BEFORE. >> Reporter: GANCI'S STREETSIDE COMMAND POST HAD BEEN SET UP NEXT TO AN UNDERGROUND GARAGE IN
CASE SHELTER WAS NEEDED. CAPTAIN JOHN SUDNIK, GANCI, AND CHIEFS DOVE INTO THE ENTRANCE. >> I JUST REMEMBER THE DUST THAT
DAY FEELING LIKE IT WAS SEARING YOUR LUNGS, LIKE IT WAS -- IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE SWALLOWING GLASS.
>> PITCH BLACK. PITCH BLACK. WE HEARD VOICES. ARE YOU OKAY?
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE MADE OUR WAY BACK UP. AND THEN WHEN WE GOT UP TO WHERE
THE COMMAND POST WAS, PETE'S MIND WENT INTO RESCUE MODE. >> Reporter: PETE GANCI HEARD ON THE RADIO THE CRIES OF TRAPPED
AND WOUNDED FIREFIGHTERS. >> AND THEN I REMEMBER HIM GIVING ORDERS. I NEED TRUCK COMPANIES.
I NEED RESCUE COMPANY. TELL THEM TO COME WITH ME. >> Reporter: AS HE HAD BEFORE, GANCI WENT INTO THE DEBRIS TO
SAVE HIS MEN HIMSELF. IN THE STILL STANDING NORTH TOWER MANY FIREFIGHTERS REFUSED THE ORDER TO EVACUATE WHILE THEY
WERE STILL CARRYING THE WOUNDED AND DISABLED. GANCI SENT SAL CASSANO TO SET UP A NEW COMMAND POST.
28 MINUTES LATER CASSANO WAS ON HIS WAY BACK. >> AND THEN I LOOK UP AND ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE ANTENNA FROM
THE NORTH TOWER IMPLODING. >> THE OTHER TOWER HAS COLLAPSED. MAJOR COLLAPSE!
>> I IN MY MIND HAD TO BE RESOLVED WITH DEATH. >> Reporter: REGINA WILSON WAS
ON THE STREET BELOW THE TOWER. SHE WAS WITH ENGINE 219, IN HER SECOND YEAR AS A FIREFIGHTER. >> AND I PRAYED, AND THEN I JUST
ASKED GOD TO JUST PROTECT ME AND IF HE COULDN'T I KNEW THAT I WOULD DIE DOING WHAT I LOVE. >> Reporter: INSIDE THE
COLLAPSING NORTH TOWER THE MEN OF ENGINE 39 WERE CAUGHT IN A STAIRWELL. >> AND IT STARTED OUT SLOW.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. THEN IT GOT QUICKER. AND FASTER. WHERE PRETTY SOON IT WAS BAM,
BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM COMING DOWN. >> Reporter: JEFF CONIGLIO AND JAMEY EFTIOMITES WERE ON THE STAIRS NEAR THE GROUND FLOOR
WITH 110 FLOORS ABOVE THEM. >> IT TOOK TEN SECONDS TO COME DOWN BUT IT FELT LIKE TEN MINUTES.
I SAW -- I WAS IN THE BACKGROUND OF A FUNERAL. I SAW MY CASKET. I SAW MY PARENTS, MY WIFE
SITTING IN THE FRONT. AND AS I'M WATCHING THIS I'M LIKE ALL RIGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE QUICK.
I'M JUST WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO TAP MY SHOULDER AND FIGURE I'LL FEEL A TAP AND THAT WILL BE IT, WE'LL BE GONE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUFFER. >> Reporter: JAMES McGLYNN AND BOB BACON WERE IN THE SAME
STAIRWELL. >> YOU KNOW, THE WIND ACTUALLY CAME UP THE STAIRWELL. BLEW ME INTO THE AIR.
AND THE LANDING THAT I WAS ON JUST DISINTEGRATED UNDERNEATH ME. AND I KIND OF BOUNCED BACK AND
FORTH AND HANGING FROM LIKE I A AWAY PIPE. >> I THINK I SAID A COUPLE OF PRAYERS AND SAID GOD, PLEASE GET
US OUT OF HERE. >> Reporter: THEIR FRAGMENT OF AN INTACT STAIRWELL LAY UPON A MOUNTAIN OF MISERY.
16 ACRES OF WRECKAGE. 91 CRUSHED FDNY VEHICLES. AND QUIET. LIKE THE FIRST HEAVY SNOW OF
WINTER. >> EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU'D HEAR THE RADIO, THE DISPATCHER ON THE RADIO TRYING TO CONTACT
SOMEBODY.
>> SILENCE SPOKE OF UNIMAGINABLE LOSS. >> ANY DIVISION CHIEF OR ANY STAFF CHIEF AT THE SCENE OF ANY
OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTERS. K. >> THAT THE 23 BATTALION CHIEFS RESPONDED.
ONLY FOUR OF US SURVIVED. >> Reporter: JOE PFEIFER THOUGHT OF THE LIEUTENANT OF ENGINE 33, HIS BROTHER, KEVIN, WHO PFEIFER
SENT UP THE NORTH TOWER. >> I GOT ON MY RADIO AND I SAID, BATTALION 1 TO ENGINE 33. AND I REPEATED IT SEVERAL TIMES.
AND I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER. >> Reporter: KEVIN PFEIFER WAS GONE. AND SO WAS THE CREW OF LADDER
105, WHICH ROLLED FROM REGINA WILSON'S FIRE HOUSE. >> WE FOUND THE TRUCK. WE DIDN'T FIND THE MEMBERS.
>> WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? >> THEY ALL DIED. >> Reporter: AMONG THEM WAS JOHN CHIPURA, HER MENTOR AND HER
SAVIOR. REGINA WILSON WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DOOMED LADDER 105. BUT EARLY THAT MORNING BEFORE
THE ATTACK JOHN CHIPURA ASKED TO SWITCH JOBS, WHICH PUT HER AMONG THE SURVIVORS OF ENGINE 219. >> I TRIED TO HONOR HIM BY
TALKING HIS NAME. AND THAT'S HOW IT IS IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE. WHEN YOU SPEAK THE NAME OF AN
ANCESTOR OR YOU SPEAK THE NAME OF A LOVED ONE, THEN THEY LIVE. AND SO EVERY TIME I SAY JOHN'S NAME HE LIVES, AND THAT GIVES ME
COMFORT. >> IT WAS VERY HOT. >> OH, YEAH. >> Reporter: THE MEN OF ENGINE
39 WERE TRAPPED IN THE WRECKAGE NEAR THE NORTH TOWER LOBBY. THEY COULD HEAR ONLY A FEW FEET AWAY BATTALION CHIEF RICHARD
PRUNTI, WHO WAS PINNED AND CALLING FOR HELP. >> WE COULDN'T GET TO HIM, AND HE WAS PASSING OUT AT TIMES.
>> YEAH, HE WAS COMING IN AND OUT. >> DID YOU HEAR HIS RADIO TRANSMISSIONS?
>> THE LAST THING THAT HE SAID WAS OF COURSE ABOUT HIS WIFE AND SAYING THAT -- >> TELL MY WIFE AND CHILDREN I
LOVE THEM. >> YEAH. THAT THEY WERE -- MY WIFE, THAT SHE WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
IN THE WORLD TO ME. >> Reporter: THOSE WORDS WERE AMONG RICHARD PRUNTI'S LAST. THE MEN OF ENGINE 39 WERE
RESCUED. BUT 343 MEMBERS OF THE FDNY WERE GONE. IN A TRADITION WHERE THE JOB IS
HANDED DOWN IN FAMILIES MANY LOST FATHERS, SONS, AND BROTHERS. >> GUYS I HAD WORKED WITH BOTH
RETIRED AND ACTIVE SAYING TO ME PETEY, HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON? AND YOU KNOW, YOUNG FIREFIGHTER COMING UP, CHIEF, HAVE YOU SEEN
MY FATHER? I -- I JUST SAID NO. I DIDN'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO TELL THEM WHAT I KNEW TO BE
TRUE. >> Reporter: AMONG THE FALLEN WERE PETER GANCI AND 71-YEAR-OLD DEPUTY FIRE COMMISSIONER WILLIAM
FIAN, WHO HAD GONE WITH GANCI TO RESCUE THE TRAPPED. PETE HAYDEN CLIMBED ATOP AN ENGINE TO ADDRESS THE LIVING.
>> I YELLED OUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST LOST A LOT OF GUYS HERE TODAY. LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
AND, WELL, I TOOK MY HELMET OFF. AND I HELD IT. I HELD IT. AND AFTER A WHILE I PUT MY
HELMET BACK ON, THEY PUT THEIR HELMETS BACK ON. I SAID OKAY, WE HAVE A JOB TO DO.
LET'S DO IT. >> DO YOU LOOK BACK AND WONDER HOW DID I SURVIVE? AND 343 MEMBERS DID NOT.
>> YEAH. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT AS MUCH MUCH -- WE WERE CRAZY BUSY. I WAS WORKING 18 HOURS A DAY.
AND THEN IT HIT ME. I SAYS I'M HERE. I GET HOME AND I'M TIRED AND THERE WAS ALWAYS FOOD ON THE
TABLE WAITING FOR ME WHEN I CAME HOME, NO MATTER WHAT TIME I CAME HOME. AND --
I'M LYING IN BED AND I ASKED MY WIFE, WHY ME? AND SHE SAID, DID YOU EVER THINK THERE WAS A JOB FOR YOU TO DO?
>> THERE WAS A JOB FOR CASSANO AND OTHERS TO DO. REBUILDING THE FDNY. WHEN WE COME BACK, THE CHILDREN
OF THE LOST PUT ON THEIR
>>> VOLUNTEERS STARTED FIGHTING FIRE IN MANHATTAN IN 1648. NEARLY 200 YEARS LATER DURING THE CIVIL WAR AN ENTIRE NEW YORK
REGIMENT WAS MANNED BY FIREFIGHTERS. THEIR COMMANDER IS QUOTED, "I WANT NEW YORK FIREMEN, FOR THERE
ARE NO MORE EFFECTIVE MEN IN THE COUNTRY." AS THOSE VETERANS RETURNED HOME IN 1865, THE MODERN FDNY WAS
CREATED. THE DEPARTMENT'S TRADITIONS ARE HANDED DOWN IN FAMILIES. AND SO IT REMAINS, ESPECIALLY
FOR THE CHILDREN OF 9/11'S FALLEN. THE LATE CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT, PETER GANCI, HAD THREE CHILDREN.
HIS DAUGHTER MARRIED A FIREFIGHTER. THESE ARE HIS SONS. CAPTAIN PETER GANCI III WAS 27
ON 9/11. BATTALION CHIEF CHRIS GANCI WAS 25. >> HOW DID YOU LEARN YOUR FATHER
DIED? >> I RAN HOME AND I GOT IN THE DOOR RIGHT WHEN STEVE MOSEILLO, WHO WAS MY DAD'S DRIVER, AL
TURI, WHO WAS THE CHIEF OF SAFETY, I JUST REMEMBER THEM TELLING MY MOM THAT HE'S GONE. AND SHE SAID, GONE WHERE?
LIKE THAT. LIKE INNOCENTLY. AND THEY'RE LIKE, HE'S DEAD. AND I REMEMBER THE SCREAM THAT
SHE -- THAT SHE LET OUT. I CAN STILL HEAR IT IN MY EARS. AND IT PAINS ME TO HEAR IT. THE PAIN OF THE REALIZATION THAT
HE'S NEVER WALKING BACK IN THE DOOR. >> PETE, WHAT KIND OF MAN WAS HE?
>> HE LOVED BEING AROUND FAMILY, BUT HIS FAMILY WAS ALSO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE KNEW IT. MY MOM KNEW IT. SOMETIMES TO HIS DISMAY. BUT SHE -- YOU KNOW, WE
UNDERSTOOD THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT HE WAS AND WHY HE CHOSE, YOU KNOW, OUR CHOSEN CAREER. >> CHRIS, YOU WERE IN BUSINESS
AND ON YOUR WAY TO AN MBA. DID 9/11 MAKE YOU AI FIREMAN? >> ABSOLUTELY. HAD 9/11 NOT HAPPENED, I
WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTER. >> YOU QUOTED YOUR DAD AS TELLING NEW GRADUATES FROM THE
FIRE ACADEMY, "YOU WILL NEVER, EVER BE RICH. BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE HAPPY." >> YOU WILL ALWAYS BE HAPPY.
THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE HOW LIKE YOU COULD GET INJURED OR YOU COULD GET KILLED BUT YET SOMEHOW YOU COME HOME WITH A
SMILE ON YOUR FACE. LIKE I ENJOY BEING PART OF THE ORGANIZATION. IT MAKES ME -- GIVES ME A SENSE
OF PRIDE THAT I NEVER FELT ANYWHERE ELSE. AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAD DRIVEN MY FATHER FOR SO MANY YEARS.
>> I'M JOHN PALOMBO. I WORK IN 92 ENGINE IN THE SOUTH BRONX. >> I'M TOMMY PALOMBO.
I WORK IN 69 ENGINE IN HARLEM. >> JOHN, HOW OLD WERE YOU ON 9/11? >> I WAS A WEEK AWAY FROM BEING
8 YEARS OLD. >> AND I WAS 9. >> HOW MANY KIDS IN THE PALOMBO FAMILY?
>> THERE'S TEN OF US. EIGHT BOYS AND TWO GIRLS. >> Reporter: THE PALOMBO BROTHERS' DAD FRANK PALOMBO WAS
46 WHEN HE DIED. LADDER 105. IN A SENSE IT WASN'T 9/11 THAT MADE THE PALOMBO BOYS
FIREFIGHTERS. IT WAS SEPTEMBER THE 12th, AND ALL THE DAYS THAT FOLLOWS. >> MY DAD'S BROTHERS AND SISTERS
IN THE FIREHOUSE, THEY COOKED FOR US. THEY DROVE US PLACES. THEY TOOK US TO SIX FLAGS.
I REMEMBER GOING ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'D TAKE US BY THE ARMS AND SPIN US IN CIRCLES.
>> Reporter: THE FIREHOUSE TURNED OUT FOR BIRTHDAYS AND GAMES. >> THE STANDS WERE FILLED AT THE
HOCKEY GAMES. IT WASN'T THE SAME BECAUSE YOU'RE MISSING THE ONE PERSON THAT YOU WANT THERE.
BUT THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO FILL IT. YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER WILL. BUT THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY
COULD TO FILL IT. AS HARD AS IT WAS FOR THEM, TAKING TIME AWAY FROM THEIR OWN FAMILIES.
>> Reporter: THE FIREHOUSE COOKED DINNER FOR THE 10 PALOMBOS AND THEIR MOTHER EVERY MONDAY FOR FIVE YEARS, UNTIL THE
FAMILY MOVED AWAY. >> ATTENTION! >> Reporter: MORE THAN 60 CHILDREN OF 9/11'S FALLEN HAVE
BEEN THROUGH THE TRAINING ACADEMY ON RANDALL'S ISLAND IN THE EAST RIVER AND ARE NOW ON THE JOB.
TO JOIN THEY TOOK A WRITTEN EXAM THAT'S GIVEN ONLY ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS. ABOUT 60,000 APPLICANTS TAKE IT.
AND ONLY THOSE IN THE TOP 10% EARN A PLACE IN THE RANK AND FILE. >> I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM.
I FEEL THAT THEY'RE -- THEIR FATHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY PROUD OF THEM. >> Reporter: DAN NIGRO, CHIEF
GANCI'S NUMBER 2 ON 9/11, WAS PROMOTED TO CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT AND BECAME THE CITY FIRE COMMISSIONER.
AMONG THE OTHERS IN OUR STORY, JOHN SUDNIK, A CAPTAIN ON 9/11, ROSE TO CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT, AND SO DID PETER HAYDEN.
SAL CASSANO BECAME FIRE COMMISSIONER. BATTALION CHIEF JOE PFEIFER BECAME CHIEF OF COUNTERTERRORISM
AND NOW TEACHES CRISIS LEADERSHIP. REGINA WILSON WAS STUDYING FOR THE LIEUTENANT'S EXAM.
AND ORIO PALMER'S NAME LIVES ON THE FDNY'S AWARD FOR THE MOST PHYSICALLY FIT FIREFIGHTERS. >> A LOT OF BRAVERY.
A LOT OF BRAVERY WAS DISPLAYED THAT DAY. AND FOLLOWED BY A LOT OF SADNESS.
>> COMMISSIONER, IT SEEMS TO BE A SAD DAY FOR YOU 20 YEARS LATER. >> I THINK FOR EVERYBODY THAT
WAS THERE THAT DAY IT HAS JUST STAYED WITH THEM, THE SADNESS. WE HAVE PLENTY OF GOOD DAYS. PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
THOSE OF US WHO SURVIVED. BUT IT'S A DAY THAT IT WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. >> SADNESS BECOMES PART OF YOUR
LIFE. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> YOUR FATHER SURVIVED THE COLLAPSE OF THE FIRST TOWER.
AND INSTEAD OF MOVING TO SAFETY HE WENT TO ANSWER THE MAYDAY CALLS FROM HIS TRAPPED FIREFIGHTERS.
>> RECEIVING REPORTS OF FIREFIGHTERS TRAPPED AND DOWN. >> HE KNEW THAT THE OTHER BUILDING WAS IN IMMINENT DANGER
OF COLLAPSING. HE HAD DECIDED IN THAT MOMENT THAT HE WAS NOT GOING HOME. >> YEAH, I MEAN, HE CHOSE HIS
GUYS. AND YOU KNOW, WE COULD GET ANGRY ABOUT IT. AND I KNOW MY SISTER AND MY
MOTHER, SOMETIMES WE HIT OUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. BUT WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS AND YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT WAS THE
ONLY DECISION. I KNEW THE WAY HE FELT ABOUT HIS MEN AND HIS JOB AND THE FDNY AND HE WAS GOING TO STAY AND SEE THE
JOB THROUGH. AND -- >> HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE WITH HIMSELF IF HE -- IF HE
LEFT AND, YOU KNOW, ONE MORE GUY WAS KILLED. IT'S JUST THE WAY HE WAS. IT WAS I HAVE TO BE THERE UNTIL
THE LAST GUY IS OUT. >> Reporter: TODAY'S RECRUITS WERE CHILDREN THEN. >> SECURE YOUR GEAR.
>> Reporter: AND SO THEY MUSTER BEFORE MEMORIES. THREE COLUMNS OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND 343 LIVES, WHICH ARE
HERE, INDELIBLE IN TIME. >> SO MANY OF US SACRIFICED SO MUCH THAT THIS STORY CAN'T GET LOST.
BECAUSE THE WORLD IS CHANGING FAST. AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S IN A HISTORY
BOOK, THAT A PAGE IS TURNED AND WE'RE FORGOTTEN.
>> TWO DECADES LATER 9/11 SURVIVORS AND FIRST RESPONDERS ARE SEEKING MEDICAL CARE AT A GROWING RATE.
MORE AT 60MINUTE >>> WE CANNOT DO JUSTICE IN THIS HOUR OR ANY NUMBER OF HOURS TO THE SACRIFICES OF THE FDNY, THE
NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE PORT AUTHORITY POLICE, AND THOSE WHO FOUGHT TO SAVE LIVES AT THE PENTAGON AND ON FLIGHT 93
IN PENNSYLVANIA. AT THE TRADE CENTER 2,753 PEOPLE PERISHED. BUT THERE WERE MORE THAN 17,000
IN THE TOWERS AND 99% OF THOSE BELOW THE FIRES SURVIVED. THAT MORNING A WITNESS WATCHED FIREFIGHTERS RUSH TO THE
STAIRWELLS AND WONDERED HOW THEY FOUND THE COURAGE. AFTER 21 YEARS OF REFLECTION IT'S CLEAR, THEY CLIMBED TO
RISE. TO RISE TO THE CRIES 1,000 FEET ABOVE THEM. TO RISE TO THE DEFENSE OF THE
FIREFIGHTER BESIDE THEM. TO RISE BEYOND DUTY. TO A PLACE