This clear, lily-stem champagne glass was part of the collection of dinnerware used in the "Windows on the World" restaurant located on the 107th floor, Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. The glass survived because the owner of the restaurant had taken the restaurant's place settings home for a private function.
On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City collapsed after being struck by hijacked commercial airplanes in a terrorist attack. Witnessing the unfolding tragedy on television, Dennis Quinn, of the Local 1 ironworker’s union in Chicago, Illinois, recognized his specialized skills in erecting and demolishing steel structures could be vital to the rescue and recovery efforts.
Six days after the attacks, on September 17, Quinn drove from Chicago to New York City with four colleagues, including his younger brother, Leo. For the next six weeks, working the 4 PM to midnight shift, seven days a week, Quinn and his team dedicated themselves to untangling and removing the immense debris pile at Ground Zero.
The experiences of ironworkers like Quinn became an essential part of the historical record collected by curators documenting the September 11 attacks. Initially, there was hope of finding survivors, but as time passed and the likelihood of rescue diminished, the focus shifted entirely to debris removal. Ironworkers frequently paused their work when potential evidence for the post-attack investigation was discovered, halting all operations until investigators could examine the findings.
Dennis Quinn recalled that first responders, such as fire rescue and police, expressed gratitude for the ironworkers' presence. He described the massive debris pile, simply as the "Pile," as resembling a warzone, with hazardous conditions and widespread destruction. The contributions of ironworkers were crucial to making the area safer and more navigable for all those involved in the recovery operation.
The U.S. military has a long tradition of creating special coins and medallions to recognize special service, give away to visiting dignitaries, or honor other contributions. For the October 11, 2001, memorial event at the Pentagon, the Secretary of Defense commissioned C. Forbes, Inc., to design and produce these commemorative medallions and pins to honor those lost and injured in the September 11 attack on the Pentagon.
Description: This material from Officer Isaac Ho‘opi‘i includes his uniform (shirt with insignia, trousers, boots, and name tag), his shield, his dog Vito’s collar and shield, a K-9 patch, and a poster of Vito.
Context: Hearing a report on his patrol-car radio of the terrorists’ attack on the Pentagon, Isaac Ho‘opi‘i (a native of Hawaii) rushed to the destroyed portion of the building. He quickly realized that many people were trapped inside and disoriented by the thick smoke. After carrying a number of people to safety, he ventured as far as he dared go into the smoke-filled building, calling out in his booming deep voice: “Come towards my voice.” Ho‘opi‘i is credited with saving many lives.
This card was used to gain access to the Navy Command Center on the first floor of the D ring in the Pentagon. The Command Center was staffed 24 hours a day by personnel who monitored U.S. naval units around the world and watched worldwide news broadcasts.
This round white saucer has four blue rising sun designs around its lip. This saucer was part of the collection of dinnerware used in the "Windows on the World" restaurant located on the 107th floor, Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. The china survived because the owner of the restaurant had taken the china home for a private function.
This material from Officer Isaac Hoopii includes his uniform (shirt with insignia, trousers, boots, and name tag), his shield, his dog Vitos collar and shield, a K-9 patch, and a poster of Vito.
Description: A personal beeper that belonged to Jonathan Eric Briley, who worked at Windows on the World restaurant.
Context: Jonathan Eric Briley worked as an audiovisual technician at Windows on the World, a restaurant located on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower. Every morning he would watch the sun rise over New York City from atop the tower. On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew a hijacked planed into the North Towers of the World Trade Center, impacting floors 94-98. His personal beeper, ID card, and ring of keys were recovered with his remains.
Description: This material from Officer Isaac Ho‘opi‘i includes his uniform (shirt with insignia, trousers, boots, and name tag), his shield, his dog Vito’s collar and shield, a K-9 patch, and a poster of Vito.
Context: Hearing a report on his patrol-car radio of the terrorists’ attack on the Pentagon, Isaac Ho‘opi‘i (a native of Hawaii) rushed to the destroyed portion of the building. He quickly realized that many people were trapped inside and disoriented by the thick smoke. After carrying a number of people to safety, he ventured as far as he dared go into the smoke-filled building, calling out in his booming deep voice: “Come towards my voice.” Ho‘opi‘i is credited with saving many lives.
Description: Fire wardens in the World Trade Center were issued special hats to make them easily identified in an emergency.
Context: Fire and emergency training is especially important in a high-rise building. As part of his job, Michael Hurley, World Trade Center Fire Director, distributed hats, whistles, and flashlights to all the building floor wardens and was responsible for developing and implementing emergency training procedures.
On September 11, Hurley considered staying home to walk his son to the first day of kindergarten, but his wife thought it might make the boy even more nervous. Instead, Hurley went to work, and he soon had to deal with the disaster of a lifetime. As the liaison to the fire department, he worked side by side with the chief in the Fire Command Center in the lobby of the north tower, providing information on stairway configurations, evacuations, and firefighting resources.
As the situation worsened, Hurley was directed to seek a new site for the command center. He was in this location, away from the north tower when it collapsed.
This silver teaspoon has raised collars at each end of its handle. This spoon was part of the collection of dinnerware used in the "Windows on the World" restaurant located on the 107th floor, Tower 1 of the World Trade Center. The teaspoon survived because the owner of the restaurant had taken the restaurant's place settings home for a private function.