Lee lelpi - FDNY Retired
Lee lelpi is a retired New York City firefighter, serving for over 27 years. Both of Lee's sons followed in his steps, serving in the FDNY. On the fateful morning of September 11, one of Lee's sons would survive, but the other would not. This tragedy began a heart wrenching search to find the body of his son.
Mike Martelli – NYPD Retired
Mike Martelli is a retired New York City police officer. On the morning of September 11, Mike, along with his brother, immediately rushed to Ground Zero. When they arrived, Mike learned the devastating news that his good friend, Father Mike Judge, was the first victim of the horrifying day. After hearing the news, Mike headed to the morgue to find his friend. When he arrived, he decided to stay and volunteer. For almost a year Mike worked in the morgue, seeing what most people would consider unimaginable.
John Picarello – FDNY
John Picarello was on duty at Fire Company Battalion 40 in Brooklyn NY on the morning of September 11. Arriving on the scene just moments after the second plane struck the World Trade Center; his unit was assigned to the 75th floor of the North Tower…an objective never reached due to the collapse of the South Tower. In the moments that followed, John’s unit would cheat death twice, being trapped by the collapse of the South Tower and then emerging only to find the North Tower collapsing around them in a hurricane of debris. John would survive the day, but 24 of his friends would not.
Bob Appleby – Ground Zero Chaplain
Bob Appleby served faithfully in the Marines before becoming a pastor in Connecticut. When the towers fell, Bob knew he needed to once again serve his country. He headed for Ground Zero, and immediately began to serve those who worked day and night. As Bob began to dig with the firemen and see the mass devastation, his life would be changed forever.
Debra Burlingame – Sister of Flight 77 Pilot
As soon as the first plane struck the world trade center, Debra Burlingame’s immediate thought was, “Those pilots, those poor pilots.” A few hours, she received a devastating phone call. Her brother Charles, who she affectionately called “Kip,” was the pilot of Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon.
Frank Silecchia – Construction Worker
Frank Silecchia is a construction worker that lives in Queens. Just after the attack, Frank began working on the massive debris pile. Two days after the attack, he journeyed with several other workers into the heart of the rubble pile and discovered a location he would name “God’s House.” |
