SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
WE WILL NEVER FORGET
2,977 souls were taken from us in a single morning. This memorial honors the victims, the first responders who ran toward the danger, and the heroes still fighting — and dying — from the cancer they breathed in that day, 25 years ago.
About this memorial
This memorial is compiled from public sources and is shared for remembrance. Names, figures and program details may change — confirm with the official agency before applying. Program links go to independent organizations not operated by Survival Command.
THE FALLEN
2,977 lives lost on a single day — and thousands more since, from the poison they breathed.
2,753
World Trade Center
184
The Pentagon
40
Flight 93 — Shanksville, PA
THE DEPARTMENTS
They wore the badge. They ran toward the towers. These are the shields and the numbers of the fallen — the men and women who gave everything so others could live.
343
Fallen
New York City Fire Department
Firefighters, officers, chaplains — Father Mychal Judge, the first certified casualty, among them.
Fidelity · Devotion · No Greater Love
23
Fallen
New York Police Department
Officers and detectives who held the line and guided thousands to safety.
Faithful · Brave · to the End
37
Fallen
Port Authority Police Department
Officers stationed at the World Trade Center — many stayed to evacuate the towers.
Courage · Sacrifice · Honor
8
Fallen
EMTs & Paramedics
Private and hospital-based medics who ran into the chaos to save the wounded.
Healers Who Gave Everything
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." — John 15:13
THEY RAISED THE FLAG OVER THE RUBBLE
On the afternoon of September 11, three firefighters raised an American flag over the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The image circled the globe — a symbol that even in our darkest hour, America stands.
That flag did not undo the loss. But it told the world — and it tells us still — that no attack, no dust cloud, no cancer will ever bring this nation to its knees.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
The compensation and health care that 9/11 responders receive today did not fall from the sky. It was won — petition by petition, signature by signature, door by door — by the firefighters and advocates below. We honor them here, not the politicians who signed the paper afterward.
John Feal
Ground Zero Demolition Supervisor · Founder, FealGood Foundation
Lost half his left foot in a steel accident during the Ground Zero cleanup. He turned that injury into the most consequential advocacy campaign in 9/11 history — leading the years-long petition and signature drive that secured passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. He walked the country, knocked on doors, and collected the signatures that Congress could not ignore.
FealGood FoundationRay Pfeifer
FDNY Firefighter · Engine 40 / Ladder 35
Spent eight months working the pile at Ground Zero. Diagnosed with 9/11-related kidney cancer in 2009. Even while battling the disease that would take his life in May 2017, Ray rode buses to Washington, sat in congressional offices, and refused to leave until lawmakers funded the care his brothers and sisters deserved. The Ray Pfeifer Foundation carries his fight forward.
Ray Pfeifer FoundationJames Zadroga
NYPD Detective · 34 years old
Spent 450 hours working in the toxic dust of Ground Zero. Died on January 5, 2006, from respiratory disease — the first NYPD officer whose death was officially linked to the 9/11 recovery effort. The landmark law bearing his name — the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act — now provides health monitoring, treatment, and compensation to responders and survivors for the rest of their lives.
Jon Stewart
Advocate · Ally of First Responders
Used his platform to shame Congress into doing the right thing. His raw, tearful testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in 2019 — demanding permanent funding for the VCF — became the turning point. He stood beside John Feal, Ray Pfeifer, and the families, and refused to let America forget.
BENEFITS & COMPENSATION PORTAL
If you were there — at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, or Shanksville — or if you have since been diagnosed with a 9/11-related illness, these programs were won for you. Claim what you earned.
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF)
Financial compensation for you or a deceased family member if you have a 9/11-related physical injury or condition (cancer, respiratory disease, and more).
WHO: Responders, recovery workers, and survivors present in the NYC disaster area, the Pentagon, or Shanksville on 9/11 or during the cleanup period.
DEADLINE: Claim filing deadline: October 1, 2090 — but register now.
World Trade Center Health Program
No-cost medical monitoring and treatment for certified 9/11-related health conditions — including cancer, asthma, GERD, and mental health care.
WHO: Firefighters, EMTs, police, recovery workers, residents, students, and workers present in the NYC disaster area. A nationwide provider network means you do NOT have to travel to New York.
DEADLINE: No deadline to apply. Authorized through 2090.
NYC 9/11 Health — Treatment Referral Program
New York City's local referral program connecting residents and workers to free 9/11-related medical care and the WTC Health Program.
WHO: NYC residents, workers, and students who were in the disaster area on 9/11 or through July 31, 2002.
DEADLINE: Open.
FealGood Foundation — Responder Crisis Aid
Emergency financial assistance for 9/11 first responders facing hardship — rent, utilities, medical bills, and daily needs — founded by John Feal, the man who won the fight for the Zadroga Act.
WHO: 9/11 first responders in verified financial crisis.
DEADLINE: Open — apply anytime.
Ray Pfeifer Foundation — Responder Support
Financial and emotional support for 9/11 first responders and their families, continuing the fight of FDNY firefighter Ray Pfeifer who battled 9/11 cancer to his last breath.
WHO: 9/11 first responders and their families.
DEADLINE: Open.
IAFF — Firefighters WTC Health & VCF Help
The International Association of Fire Fighters guides members through WTC Health Program enrollment and VCF claims, step by step.
WHO: Union and non-union firefighters who responded to the WTC, Pentagon, or Shanksville sites.
DEADLINE: Open.
CANCER & AIR QUALITY RELIEF
The dust cloud from the collapsing towers carried over 2,500 contaminants — including asbestos, lead, mercury, glass fibers, and cement. Thousands who breathed that air now have cancer. If you breathed the smoke, the dust, or the air at Ground Zero and later got cancer — you are covered. These programs exist for you.
CANCERS COVERED BY THE VCF & WTC HEALTH PROGRAM
And many more — including any rare cancer (fewer than 15 cases per 100,000) and any childhood cancer.
VCF — Cancer Compensation (Asbestos, Smoke & Dust)
The Victim Compensation Fund pays financial compensation for 9/11-related cancers — including mesothelioma, lung, prostate, breast, colon, blood, thyroid, kidney, skin, and rare cancers — caused by breathing the toxic dust, smoke, and asbestos at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, or Shanksville.
WHO: Anyone present in the disaster area on 9/11 or during the cleanup (through May 30, 2002) who has since been diagnosed with a covered cancer.
DEADLINE: File by October 1, 2090 — register now even before diagnosis.
WTC Health Program — Free Cancer Treatment
No-cost treatment for all certified 9/11-related cancers — chemotherapy, surgery, medications, hospitalizations, and monitoring. Covers mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases, lung cancer, and 60+ other cancer types. A nationwide provider network means you do NOT have to travel to New York.
WHO: Responders, recovery workers, residents, students, and workers present in the NYC disaster area, the Pentagon, or Shanksville.
DEADLINE: No deadline. Authorized through 2090.
VA Benefits — Veterans with 9/11 Asbestos & Cancer
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer from 9/11 asbestos exposure may receive monthly VA disability compensation (up to 100% rating), free VA health care, Aid & Attendance for a caregiver, and survivor & burial benefits for families.
WHO: Veterans who responded to 9/11 or were exposed to asbestos during service.
DEADLINE: Open — file as soon as diagnosed.
Asbestos Trust Funds — Mesothelioma Compensation
Billions of dollars sit in asbestos bankruptcy trust funds set up by the companies that made and used asbestos. If you have mesothelioma or an asbestos-related cancer from 9/11 dust, you may file claims against these trusts — separate from and in addition to the VCF.
WHO: Anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease linked to 9/11 exposure.
DEADLINE: Varies by trust — file promptly.
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation
Helps cover the co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles for cancer treatment that insurance does not pay — so cost is never the reason you skip care.
WHO: Cancer patients being treated in the U.S. who meet income and diagnosis criteria.
DEADLINE: Open — apply when treatment begins.
American Cancer Society — Hope Lodge (Free Lodging)
Free lodging for cancer patients and their caregivers during treatment far from home — so you never have to sleep in your car or skip appointments because you can't afford a hotel.
WHO: 9/11 cancer patients traveling for treatment at a partner cancer center.
DEADLINE: Open — request when you schedule treatment.
Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation — Travel Grants
Patient Travel Grant Program helps pay for the travel and lodging costs of getting to mesothelioma treatment — including for 9/11 responders with asbestos-related cancer.
WHO: Mesothelioma patients seeking expert care.
DEADLINE: Open.
Corporate Angel Network — Free Flights to Treatment
Free flights on corporate jets for cancer patients traveling to recognized cancer treatment centers — no cost to the patient or family.
WHO: Cancer patients in active treatment who can travel but cannot afford airfare.
DEADLINE: Open — register before your trip.
FREE LEGAL HELP WITH YOUR CLAIM
You do not have to figure this out alone. These 9/11 law firms file VCF and WTC Health Program claims at no upfront cost to you — they only get paid if you win. Call any of them for a free consultation.
Barasch & McGarry — Lawyers for the 9/11 Community
Free consultations. Help file VCF and WTC Health Program claims. Co-founder John Feal is a partner.
Free ConsultationPitta & Baione LLP — 911 Benefits
Free claim consultations. Has recovered millions for 9/11 cancer victims and their families.
Free ConsultationTurley, Hansen & Rosasco, LLP
Free consultations. Decades of 9/11 VCF and WTC Health Program representation for responders and survivors.
Free ConsultationHansen & Rosasco, LLP
Fighting for the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act — full, permanent funding for the WTC Health Program.
Free Consultation
THE LIGHT STILL RISES
Every September, two beams of light rise from where the towers stood — reaching into the night sky, visible for sixty miles. They are the Tribute in Light. They say: we see you. We remember you. You are not gone.
And for the responders still fighting the cancer they breathed in that day — the light is also a promise: your country will not forget what you gave. Claim your care. Claim your compensation. You earned it.
TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION
STEEL ACROSS AMERICA
Connecting a Nation · May – September 2026
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT
We thank the President of the United States for standing with our 9/11 first responders and for honoring the heroes we lost. As the President speaks on the Steel Across America Tour, we honor the sacred vow this nation made — that we will never forget.
The steel beam from the World Trade Center is crossing this country so that every American — in every town square, every stadium, every school — can touch it and remember. We thank the President for lifting up that mission, and we thank the Tunnel to Towers Foundation for carrying it forward in the name of Stephen Siller, the FDNY firefighter who ran through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel with sixty pounds of gear and never came home.
THE JOURNEY
An authentic steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center is being carried to communities across the United States — to landmark locations, sporting events, and town squares — so a new generation can touch the steel and remember.
From New York City to Shanksville, from the Pentagon to Mount Rushmore, from the USS Arizona to the USS Midway — the steel is being received with honor at every stop. Visitors are invited to climb the stairs, touch the steel, and reflect on the sacrifice it represents.
BENEFITS FOR 9/11 FAMILIES & FALLEN HEROES
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation — born from 9/11 — has spent every day since helping America's heroes. These are the benefits the Steel Across America Tour represents for the families of the fallen.
Gold Star Family Home Program
Mortgage-free homes for the surviving spouses and young children of fallen military heroes.
WHO: Gold Star families with young children.
Learn MoreFallen First Responder Home Program
Mortgage-free homes for the families of first responders who gave their lives in the line of duty — including 9/11 responders.
WHO: Surviving spouses and young children of fallen first responders.
Learn MoreSmart Home Program
Specially-adapted, fully smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders — including 9/11 responders battling service-connected illness and injury.
WHO: Catastrophically injured service members and first responders.
Learn MoreChildren's Scholarship Program
Full scholarships for undergraduate degrees and accredited trade school programs for the children of every family that receives a Tunnel to Towers home.
WHO: Children of Foundation home recipients.
Learn More"The president will stand with first responders to renew our sacred vow that we will never forget — and that the United States of America will always defend our proud, free nation with unyielding resolve."
— Tunnel to Towers Foundation
SACRED GROUND — THE MEMORIAL SITES
From Lower Manhattan to the Pentagon to a field in Pennsylvania — these are the places where America was wounded, and where America remembers. Visit them. Bring your children. Tell them what happened here.
National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
The two reflecting pools sit in the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of every victim are inscribed in bronze around the pools.
One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower)
1,776 feet tall — the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Built on the site where the towers fell, it stands as a symbol of resilience.
FDNY Engine 40 / Ladder 35
Lost 12 men on 9/11 — one of the hardest-hit firehouses in the city. Ray Pfeifer's company.
The Pentagon Memorial
184 victims honored by 184 cantilevered benches facing the sky and the point of impact.
Flight 93 National Memorial
40 heroes who fought back and brought the plane down in a Pennsylvania field, saving the U.S. Capitol.
THE SURVIVOR TREE
In October 2001, workers clearing the rubble at Ground Zero found a callery pear tree — burned, broken, roots crushed, barely alive. The New York City Parks Department nursed it back to health. Today it stands at the 9/11 Memorial, blooming every spring — a living reminder that even from the worst destruction, life returns.
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." — Psalm 147:3
SEARCH THE 9/11 DOCUMENTS YOURSELF
170,000+ pages of Ground Zero air quality records — the ones the city hid for 25 years — are now free to search, view, and download directly from the City of New York.
Search for your street, your workplace, your agency, or your illness. Download the documents that prove what they knew about the air you breathed. Then bring them to a lawyer and claim what you earned.
WERE YOU IN THE ZONE?
If any of these describe you, you likely qualify for compensation and free health care — and the documents in this portal are your evidence.
You Were in the NYC Disaster Zone
Below Houston Street in Lower Manhattan on 9/11/2001, or any time during the cleanup through May 30, 2002. This includes residents, workers, students, and responders.
You Responded to the Pentagon or Shanksville
You were a responder or recovery worker at the Pentagon crash site or the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, PA.
You Worked the Pile or the Cleanup
FDNY, NYPD, PAPD, EMTs, construction workers, volunteers, or anyone who worked at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills, or the barge loading sites.
You Got Sick After
You were later diagnosed with cancer, respiratory disease, GERD, mental health condition, or any condition on the VCF covered list — even years later.
The NYC Disaster Zone: Below Houston Street, from the Hudson River to the East River, including: Battery Park City, Tribeca, Wall Street, the Financial District, Chinatown, and parts of SoHo.
Exposure period: September 11, 2001 through May 30, 2002 (cleanup end date).
ACCESS THE PORTAL
The official City of New York portal is embedded below. Search it directly, or use the quick links to jump to key sections. Every document is free to view and download.
Search 170,000+ pages by keyword — air quality, health, your neighborhood, your agency.
Key documents curated by the Law Department — including the Harding Memo on city liability.
Read this first — explains how the collection is organized and how to find what you need.
Answers about the documents, the redaction process, and what's coming next.
Direct links to VCF, WTC Health Program, and other benefit applications.
Track what new documents have been added since the portal launched.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR CASE WITH THESE DOCUMENTS
Five steps from searching the portal to walking into a lawyer's office with proof.
Search for Your Location
Type your street address, zip code, or neighborhood into the portal search bar. Look for any memos, reports, or correspondence about air quality in your area.
Search for Your Agency or Employer
Type 'FDNY', 'NYPD', 'DEP', 'DCAS', 'DOB', or your company name. Find documents about what your employer or agency knew about the air.
Search for Your Diagnosis
Type 'asbestos', 'mesothelioma', 'lung', 'cancer', 'respiratory', 'asthma', 'GERD', or your specific condition. Find documents linking the dust to your illness.
Download & Save Everything
Every document on the portal is free to view and download. Save PDFs of anything that relates to you — these are evidence for your claim.
Bring It to a 9/11 Lawyer
Take your documents to one of the free 9/11 law firms below. They file VCF and WTC Health claims at no upfront cost — they only get paid if you win.
TAKE YOUR DOCUMENTS TO A LAWYER — FREE
These 9/11 law firms file VCF and WTC Health Program claims at no upfront cost — they only get paid if you win. Download your documents from the portal, then call any of them for a free consultation.
Barasch & McGarry
Free consultations. Co-founder John Feal is a partner. Files VCF & WTC Health claims.
Pitta & Baione LLP
Free claim consultations. Has recovered millions for 9/11 cancer victims.
Turley, Hansen & Rosasco
Free consultations. Decades of 9/11 VCF and WTC Health representation.
"For too long, information about the aftermath of September 11th has not been provided to the public. For years, families, city workers, and survivors have been crying out for more transparency from their government. That is why the Mamdani administration has made a significant investment to give the public access to information and documents related to City government's response to the September 11th attacks — documents that were never previously made available to the public."
— Steven Banks, 83rd Corporation Counsel, City of New York
The initial release includes documents from the Department of Records (DORIS), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), FDNY, DCAS, DDC, and DOB. More documents from NYPD, DOHMH, and EDC will be added on a rolling basis. All documents are free to view and download.
THE TRUTH THEY HID
170,000+ pages of suppressed 9/11 air quality records — finally made public.
For 25 years, four mayoral administrations told the public the air at Ground Zero was safe — while internally warning each other about the toxins. They told residents to clean their apartments with wet mops. They told firefighters to keep working the pile. They told the country the dust was harmless.
Now we know they were warned. A memo sent to Deputy Mayor Robert Harding in October 2001 — just one month after the attacks — estimated 35,000 potential plaintiffs and 10,000 expected lawsuits from toxic exposure. A Bloomberg-era memo admitted the city was "leaving itself open to a barrage of lawsuits" and should stop telling people the air was safe.
They hid the records for a quarter century. Meanwhile, 6,000+ people have died from 9/11-related illness — more than double the number who died in the attack itself. On September 8, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered the release of the first 170,000+ pages through a public online portal, with millions more to come. The city allocated $34 million to build and operate the database.
"For too long, New Yorkers have had to fight for access to records that should have been available to them in the first place. This portal is part of our administration's enduring commitment to honor those we lost, care for those living with lasting health consequences, and give thousands of New Yorkers the answers they've been asking for."
https://sept11documents.cityofnewyork.us/
170,000+
Pages Released
millions
More to Come
6,000+
Dead from Illness
$34 million
Portal Funding
Read the Full Coverage
NEED MORE HELP?
Beyond the federal programs, Survival Command connects 9/11 families to housing, relocation, furniture, food, funeral assistance, and financial aid. Tell us what you need and we will route you to the right help — simple, easy, and fast.
PRAYERS FOR THE FAMILIES
For the Families Who Lost Someone
Heavenly Father, we lift up every family that said goodbye on a September morning and never got to say it again. Comfort the wives, the husbands, the children, the parents, the friends who still feel the empty chair at the table. Be their peace that passes understanding. In Jesus' name, Amen.
For the First Responders Still Fighting
Lord Jesus Christ, speak peace to the storm. We pray for every firefighter, EMT, police officer, and recovery worker still battling 9/11-related cancer and illness. Strengthen their bodies, guide their doctors, and open every door to the care and compensation they earned. Let no hero be forgotten. Amen.
For Those Who Carried the Fight to Congress
Father, we thank You for John Feal, Ray Pfeifer, James Zadroga, and every advocate who refused to let America forget. Bless the FealGood Foundation, the Ray Pfeifer Foundation, and all who still knock on doors for the sick and the grieving. Reward their labor of love. Amen.
Comfort for the Mourning
Lord Jesus Christ, we ask You to comfort the families who are losing loved ones — the ones still falling to the illnesses of that day. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, strengthen them. Hold them in the middle of the storm, the difficulty, the trial, the heartache, the break, the pain of a lost one. Be their refuge and their strength, a very present help in trouble. We lift these families up to You. They are not forgotten. In Jesus' name, Amen.
For Those Who Gave the Ultimate Price
Almighty God, we thank You for every soul who gave the ultimate price — the first responders who ran into the towers, the soldiers who marched into battle for our freedom, the prisoners of war who endured captivity and never came home, and the 9/11 responders who kept working the pile until the poison took their bodies. Their sacrifice is not lost on You. Reward them, Lord. Comfort their families. And let this nation honor their memory by living worthy of it. Amen.
God With Us in the Storm
Father, in the middle of the difficulty, in the middle of the heartache, in the middle of the break, in the middle of the pain of losing a loved one — remind us that You are here. You are with us. You are with this nation. When the darkness presses in, be the light. When the grief is heavy, be the lifter of our heads. When we cannot see the way, be the lamp unto our feet. We are never alone. You will never leave us nor forsake us. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
For Our Nation
Almighty God, we ask Your blessing on the United States of America. Heal the wounds of that day. Unite us in remembrance. And let the light of those we lost shine through us — in courage, in kindness, in service. God bless America. Amen.
IF MY PEOPLE
America, if we will humble ourselves and turn back to God, He is able to heal this land. The same God who carried us through 9/11 is the God who can carry us through every storm — if we seek His face.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
— 2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV
Lord, we humble ourselves. We repent as a nation. We turn away from our wickedness and we seek Your face. Forgive us, Father. Heal us. Heal this land. Bless the harvest, bless the work of our hands, and bless the United States of America — one nation, under God. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
We remember the 2,977. We honor the 343 FDNY, the 37 PAPD, the 23 NYPD, the 8 EMTs. We thank the firefighters who won the fight for care. And we will never, ever forget.
Official Memorial & Resources