Eyewitness: Interviews with 9/11 responders

By: Overtime Staff
Topics: Overtime Original

These interviews with 9/11 responders began in the unlikeliest of places: the examining room of a Long Island medical doctor named Dr. Benjamin Luft.

Scott Pelley tells the remarkable story of Dr. Luft and how he took it upon himself to document the stories of people from all walks of life who rushed to ground zero to help.

Some 70,000 people worked at the World Trade Center site. Shortly after 9/11, Dr. Luft helped start a clinic at Stony Brook University Medical Center to treat the chronic illnesses suffered by many of the responders. He treats and monitors about 6,000 patients.

Cops, firefighters, massage therapists, and accountants all brought their ailments to Dr. Luft, but they also brought their stories--highly personal and emotional accounts of what they experienced in the aftermath of the attacks and during the weeks of recovery work at the World Trade Center site.

As Pelley reports, Dr. Luft listened to their stories in his examining room for 8 years when he realized that his patients were the authors of one of the most dramatic chapters of American history. He began recording documentary-style interviews with his patients, and in all, 137 people have told him their story.

Here at "60 Minutes Overtime" we were so moved by the interviews in Scott's story that we decided to give viewers the opportunity to see more of them. We've included stories of courage, fear, and heartbreak from 15 of the 9/11 responders.

Watch the full "60 Minutes" report by clicking here

The story is reported by Scott Pelley, produced by Rebecca Peterson, and edited by Andy Soto.

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by TiredFirstResponder September 10, 2011 7:51 PM EDT

As a volunteer rescue worker I never felt prouder that day I finally left the WTC site and walked uptown to leave the city. The streets were lined with people crying and hugging me, thanking me for my heroic efforts. Now 10 years later the feeling is gone. I have come down with some major health issues. Then after having to go to Washington and literally knock on every congressmens doors with not one of them even having the courtesy to talk to us about the Zadroga health bill. My wifes house going into foreclosure from helping me pay my bills. Being in the process of losing my dream retirement home, that I bought after 9/11 for a place to go and reflect. All ths coupled with many people telling me it's my own fault I am sick because I volunteered and didn't take the appropriate safety precautions. Even though I tell them that the firemen had also already run out of airpacks and there were no masks available when I got there that evening. I no longer feel that pride, in fact I rarely even mention I was a rescue worker on 9/11 because of the adverse reaction I get, people thinking we all got rich from multiple lawsuits. I never recieved a dime, in fact I need surgery and the WTC clinic doesn't have the funding for it so I just wait. The pride I once felt is all but gone, where are all the people who lined the streets saying "United We Stand We Will Never Forget What You Have Done". As a pure volunteer I can tell you that our efforts of that day are all but forgotten save once a year when it is big news again..............

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by kbbpll September 12, 2011 1:14 AM EDT: What do you need me to do, I will do it. kmbailey at frii dot com


by EmtFF10 September 10, 2012 11:34 AM EDT: @ TiredFirstResponder: I can say this much, your actions for that day & everyone else's action for that day will NEVER be forgotten by me. Why? Because I am a retired Emt/FF in the Commonwealth of Pa, I put 30 yrs in between being a Volunteer & Career. You & the countless others including 343 Brethren that did what they felt they needed to do will never be forgotten by my family nor myself.

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