Post-9/11 Recovery Efforts Impacted Volunteer’s Life

Following 9/11, thousands of investigators, engineers, laborers and volunteers joined the rescue and recovery efforts at the attack sites. In late May 2002, the ceremonial removal of the Last Column marked the end of the rescue and recovery work at the World Trade Center site. In recognition of the anniversary of the end of recovery this month, below is a story of somebody who participated in those efforts in New York City.

Tom Bowen of Huntington, West Virginia says working at Ground Zero affected his life “in a lot of ways – everything from physical issues, to the things that go through your mind, often on a daily basis.”

Assisting at the site from September 2001 through May 2002 as a volunteer with both the New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Bowen became involved in search and rescue. FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams from 14 states supported the work of local police and firefighters during the recovery period.

When hopes of finding survivors faded, Bowen’s focus shifted to the search for remains of victims and trying to provide closure to those grieving over their lost loved ones.

Bowen commuted to New York from West Virginia for his shifts throughout those nine months. On one trip home, a Delta flight attendant silently passed him an encouraging message written on a napkin as he was disembarking. He also fondly remembers notes of support from New York City school children that were delivered to him and fellow recovery workers. He recalls these moments of kindness and connection as restorative.

In 2014, Bowen returned to NYC to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum, where he recorded his thoughts at the “Reflecting on 9/11” exhibition.

“I think one big way that my life’s been affected is by understanding that we’re all in this together, and to be intentional about how we love and support people around us,” he says. “You never know when you’re going to be on the other side of that fence.”

A cornerstone of the Museum’s mission is to honor the courage and sacrifice of the rescue and recovery workers who responded in the face of unspeakable tragedy. The Rescue and Recovery Workers Registry preserves the stories of recovery workers, like Bowen, and their efforts after 9/11.

By Alison Hines, Exhibition Media Coordinator