21 Years Later, 13 Heroes To Remember After 9/11

There were numerous lives saved by the bravery of others for each of the men and women who died during the 9/11 attacks.

There were many lives saved by the bravery of others for all the poor men and women who were killed during the terror attack on our nation. The heroes came from many walks of life, including company chefs and firefighters. 13 heroes who must never be forgotten are honored today on the 13th anniversary of 9/11.

1. The Rescue Dogs

In the city’s rescue and recovery effort, more than 300 dogs were employed to look for survivors and locate human remains. These dogs were subjected to Ground Zero’s physical dangers, including sharp debris and contaminated air, just like the numerous people who helped in the recovery effort.

2. Moira Smith, NYPD

Among the 23 NYPD officers who died on 9/11, Smith was the only female officer. She helped numerous hurt victims leave the twin towers. But ultimately died like so many other heroes in the attempt to save more people.

3 & 4. Jason Thomas, Marine, & Dave Karnes, Former Marine

Karnes and Thomas rushed to the WTC shortly after the attack to help in the search for any survivors. Both are credited with finding and saving two Port Authority police officers buried 20 feet below the rubble despite not knowing each other before they arrived.

5. Benjamin Clark, Chef, Former Marine

The Fiduciary Trust Company’s former chef and former Marine are credited with ensuring that everyone on the 96th level left the building safely and saving hundreds of lives. Then he stopped on the 78th floor to help a woman who was in a wheelchair. He was killed when the structure fell.

6. Ronald Bucca, N.Y. Fire Marshal, Army Special Forces

In the south tower’s debris, Bucca’s body was discovered. Given that it was later found still wrapped around them, he must have placed his turnout coat protectively around a number of people.

7. Danny Lewin, Internet Entrepreneur, Former Israeli Army [SF] Special Forces

Lewin, an American-Israeli, was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 when it was hijacked by terrorists and took off from Boston for Los Angeles. As a former member of the Israeli Army’s Special Forces and a native speaker of Arabic, he was well aware of the terrorists’ strategies. He was fatally stabbed inside the aircraft while attempting to stop the terrorists on his own.

8. Officer John W. Perry, NYPD

Officer Perry submitted his retirement paperwork to the precinct on the morning of September 11 to move forward with his ambition to practice law in medical malpractice. Perry ran many blocks to the World Trade Center to help rescue after learning of the attacks. As soon as he arrived, Perry helped a woman who had fainted before rushing into the South Tower just as it was about to fall.

9. Leonard Hatton Fbi, Former Marine, Volunteer Firefighter

When Special Agent Hatton first noticed smoke and fire coming from the WTC’s North Tower, he was on his way to the New York Division office. To help New York City firefighters in the evacuation attempt, he hurried down to the buildings. He was inside the building when it fell.

10. Thomas Burnett, President Of Medical Device Company

He boarded United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. When the plane was hijacked, he called his wife and told her about the World Trade Center attacks. He devised a strategy to get back on the plane with a few other passengers. Burnett and the other men are thought to have prevented the jet from hitting its intended objective of the White House or Capitol Building, even though the aircraft ultimately landed in a rural part of Pennsylvania.

11. William Rodriguez, Wtc Maintenance Worker

Rodriguez was in the North Tower’s basement when American Airlines Flight 11 collided with the building. Having the keys to every emergency escape, Rodriquez is credited with leading the firefighters bravely up the stairs while also opening doors to save hundreds of lives.

12. Rick Rescorla, Vietnam Veteran, Morgan Stanley Security

2,687 Morgan Stanley employees and 250 office visitors were said to have been saved by Rescorla, a master catastrophe manager who was careful in his planning. He returned inside to save more after he had them outside securely. Only 13 workers of Morgan Stanley lost their lives that day, including him.

13. Welles Crowther, Equity Trader, Former Volunteer Firefighter

He must have used his prior volunteer firefighter training, as he assisted FDNY personnel while saving up to 18 lives. When he entered the building for the final time before it fell, he ultimately died. Years later, ESPN created an outstanding documentary about this courageous young man.