Remembering The Heroes of the PAPD

As most of us stopped, to see the fire in the sky,
YOU were in the trucks, passing us by.
As the unthinkable horror, makes us shed a tear,
YOU entered the building, in your rescue gear.
As we sat in panic, praying for no more,
YOU were climbing stairs, floor by floor.
We sat confused, awed, and in strife
YOU were looking, hoping, and praying for life.
As the building came down, we feared you would too.
But God gave you wings, and instead you flew.

Emily Dickenson

In the weeks and months following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, many of those who survived have told stories of the hundreds of rescuers they saw racing into the burning, smoke-filled buildings and up the stairs to save those still trapped inside. Most of those heroic rescuers died when the towers collapsed, including the thirty-seven Port Authority Police Officers remembered here. As the world watched in horror and disbelief, these were the heroes that rushed into the living hell.
Read their stories,
Remember their names,
Pray for their families.
"Our inspector commandeered a bus, cars opened the way for us. We go to the north tower, and then we go under the buildings to the south tower, to get to the lobby there. We are one floor under the main concourse area, where all the stores are, and pushing a cart filled with equipment, air masks, helmets, axes, tools, and so on ..... We are just about in the middle of the concourse, between the two buildings, just below and a little south of the big golden globe, when huge parts of the tower and shock waves come down into the plaza area, cracking all the cement. The whole concourse above us collapses ..... They were told to evacuate the building, yet radio transmissions showed that the officers continued their floor-by-floor search for people in trouble. They were only a few feet from safety as steel, glass and concrete collapsed around them, yet the Port Authority cops stayed with the woman they were carrying in a rescue chair. This act of heroism cost them their lives. The cops and the woman were apparently just steps from escaping the tower when it collapsed ..... "

These are the heroes whose stories are on this page,
scroll through them all, or click on a name to read their story
Christopher Amoroso Maurice Barry Liam Callahan Robert Cirri Clinton Davis
Donald Foreman Gregg Froehner Thomas Gorman Uhuru Houston

The heroes whose stories are on page 2 are
George Howard Stephen Huczko Anthony Infante, Jr. Paul Jurgens Robert Kaulfers
Paul Laszczynski David Lemagne John Lennon John Levi James Lynch

The heroes whose stories are on page 3 are
Kathy Mazza Donald McIntyre Walter McNeil Fred Morrone Joseph Navas
James Nelson Alphonse Niedermeyer James Parham Dominick Pezzulo Bruce Reynolds

The heroes whose stories are on page 4 are
Antonio Rodrigues Richard Rodriguez James Romito John Skala Walwyn Stuart
Kenneth Tietjen Nathaniel Webb Michael Wholey

"THE THIRTY-SEVEN"
A poetic tribute to the 37 heroes of the PAPD

Police Officer Christopher Amoroso
Tactical Response Unit
P.O. Shield #2002

The fate of others fell into the hands of Port Authority Police Officer Christopher Amoroso, 29, when on September 11th, the Huguenot resident responded to reports that an airplane had struck one of the Twin Towers. Trained in special tactics and fire control, Officer Amoroso rushed to the scene and was active in the rescue effort during the early stages of the disaster. After leading many people out of the Towers and to safety, below he is shown at 9:28 a.m. helping an unidentified woman to safety.

Despite the burns on his face, Chris re-entered the Towers four times but never returned from his last attempt to save others before the buildings collapsed.

Police Officer Maurice Barry
PATH Emergency Service Unit
P.O. Shield #1038

A Port Authority officer for 16 years, Maurice "Moe" Barry, 48, was assigned to the PATH commuter train system. The resident of Rutherford, NJ, upon hearing the reports of the terrorist attacks, was one of the first on scene when he rushed from Jersey City to Lower Manhattan and then into the North Tower to help in the rescue efforts. As thousands fled the searing flames and smoke of the Towers, Officer Barry was attempting to reach trapped and frightened workers on the upper floors. The last time he was seen, he was on his way to the higher floors to get people out. Barry had a history of heroism - he was involved in rescue efforts during an airplane crash at La Guardia airport; he once climbed a bridge to retrieve the body of a person electrocuted there; he was involved in the rescue effort during the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center; and he rescued a woman from her home, by boat, during Hurricane Floyd. Moe was also a volunteer for the Rutherford Ambulance Corps. Click HERE to read a poetic tribute by Moe's wife.

Police Officer Liam Callahan
PATH Emergency Service Unit
P.O. Shield #899

A 23 year veteran of the Port Authority Police Department, Liam Callahan, 44, a resident of Rockaway, NJ, always made it out of dangerous situations, so it was fully expected that he would emerge from the WTC wreckage, even if days later. Officer Callahan, however, died in the line of duty. On the morning of September 11th, upon hearing that planes had hit the WTC, he responded and was one of the first rescuers to enter the towers. He was not originally scheduled to work that day, but in order to be able to make it to a back-to-school event for his children, he had changed his shift. An Officer with the PATH Emergency Services Unit, police work was his life blood. After the 1993 WTC bombing he won a Police Valor Award for carrying disabled people from the towers and received at least a half dozen citations, for exemplary actions, including a group citation for heroic efforts. In 1982 he saved the life of a distraught young man who tried to jump from the roof of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. A proud Irishman, who loved to celebrate his heritage, Callahan was a founder and drum sergeant for the Port Authority's Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band. Click HERE to read a poetic tribute to Liam from his nephew

Lieutenant Robert Cirri
Port Authority Police Department Academy
Lieutenant's Shield #180

The day of the World Trade Center attack, Eileen Cirri received a call from her husband, Lt. Robert "Bob" Cirri, 39, a Port Authority police officer. A couple of blocks away, he saw people running, he couldn’t just watch he had to help. The Nutley, NJ resident, a 15 yr member of the PAPD ran towards the WTC while others fled. Gathering a group of fellow officers, Bob led an expedition into the North Tower. Witnesses have reported that he and Capt. Kathy Mazza shot out the plate glass windows to permit more people to escape.

While attempting to reroute victims who were unknowingly walking into a blaze, his last transmission was from the 27th floor just prior to the building’s collapse. He gave his life attempting to evacuate the workers from the WTC.
From his work as a police officer to working part-time for the Hackensack University Medical Center as a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic, and serving as a ham radio operator for the Jersey Coastal Emergency Services, Bob was a fun loving man, who had a passion for public service. His entire adult life was dedicated to serving others.

Police Officer Clinton Davis
World Trade Center Command
P.O. Shield #1719

Clinton Davis, 39, of Flushing, NY, became a Port Authority Police Officer 14 years ago because he wanted to use his military skills to help others. On the morning of September 11th, that is exactly what he was doing as he ran in and out of the north tower to evacuate people. When he went in one last time, the tower collapsed. They found his body in what appeared to be one of the stairwells of Tower One, where he worked at the ground level. His favorite country song by John Anderson was almost a statement, "I know where I'm going when they lay me to rest," Davis would sing wholeheartedly, "I ain't afraid of dying, Lord. It's the living that scares me to death."

Police Officer Donald Foreman
Holland Tunnel Command
P.O. Shield #1278

Donald Foreman, 53, spent 29 years with the Port Authority, working many of those years as a captain's clerk. He was assigned to the Holland Tunnel but the morning of September 11th found him racing with his colleagues to the WTC to help. When he first arrived he called his family to let them know he was all right. It was his habit to keep his family informed whenever danger was involved. During the 1993 WTC bombing, he had kept in close communication with them. His family last heard from him, shortly after the first plane hit, he was somewhere in Tower Two.

Police Officer Gregg Froehner
PATH Emergency Service Unit
P.O. Shield #414

Since he was a boy, Gregg Froehner, 46, of Chester, NJ, wanted a job where he could serve others. After college, he became a police officer with the Port Authority Police Department and a unit leader for the Emergency Services Unit of the PATH system in Jersey City. When the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993, Gregg was there to help; in 2000 he was there when an out of control elevator slammed into the tower's ceiling with a dozen people on board; and he was there the morning of September 11th when terrorists crashed the hijacked planes into the towers. But his specialized training in rescues and courses in terrorism didn't save him that day. Gregg rushed into the WTC towers and never made it out alive.

Police Officer Thomas Gorman
PATH Emergency Service Unit
P.O. Shield #1712

On September 11th, Barbara Gorman was on her way to work and watched from her car as an airplane crashed into One World Trade Center. Miles away, her husband, Thomas "Tom" Gorman, climbed into a rescue truck. Tom, 42, of Middelsex, NJ, was a officer with the Emergency Services Unit of the Port Authority Police Department. No one is quite sure where he was when the towers collapsed, but one thing they are sure of, being one of the first to respond, he died helping others escape. Gorman, who had a passion for his work, was a firefighter for three years at the Bayonne Fire Department before joining the Port Authority Police Department 14 years ago.

Police Officer Uhuru Houston
World Trade Center Command
P.O. Shield #811

Uhuru Gonga "Bee" Houston, 32, of Englewood, NJ, was a Port Authority Police Officer assigned to patrol and police the halls and plazas of the World Trade Center. He was last seen ascending into one of the Twin Towers to direct frightened workers out. Sonya Houston, who lovingly called her husband "Bee", last spoke to him by phone just after the first plane hit Tower One. Houston projected a love for people and life, and it was this love that caused his untimely death. He enjoyed life, loved the Lord, and had a great personality and spirit.

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A Day to Remember
America Attacked
America Still Stands Proud
An Open Letter to A Terrorist
America Prays
A Global Tragedy
NY/NJ Port Authority Police Memorial
Remember the Heroes of Ground Zero
In Memory of Officer George Howard
In Memory of K-9 Sirius
A K-9 Memorial Service
Where was GOD?
Can Osama Bin Laden Come Out to Play?
What if YOU died tonight?
Patriotic Pages
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Police Officer Maurice Barry PATH Emergency Service Unit P.O. Shield #1038
A Port Authority officer for 16 years, Maurice "Moe" Barry, 48, was assigned to the PATH commuter train system. The resident of Rutherford, NJ, upon hearing the reports of the terrorist attacks, was one of the first on scene when he rushed from Jersey City to Lower Manhattan and then into the North Tower to help in the rescue efforts. As thousands fled the searing flames and smoke of the Towers, Officer Barry was attempting to reach trapped and frightened workers on the upper floors. The last time he was seen, he was on his way to the higher floors to get people out. Barry had a history of heroism - he was involved in rescue efforts during an airplane crash at La Guardia airport; he once climbed a bridge to retrieve the body of a person electrocuted there; he was involved in the rescue effort during the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center; and he rescued a woman from her home, by boat, during Hurricane Floyd. Moe was also a volunteer for the Rutherford Ambulance Corps. Click HERE to read a poetic tribute by Moe's wife.

Police Officer Liam Callahan PATH Emergency Service Unit P.O. Shield #899
A 23 year veteran of the Port Authority Police Department, Liam Callahan, 44, a resident of Rockaway, NJ, always made it out of dangerous situations, so it was fully expected that he would emerge from the WTC wreckage, even if days later. Officer Callahan, however, died in the line of duty. On the morning of September 11th, upon hearing that planes had hit the WTC, he responded and was one of the first rescuers to enter the towers. He was not originally scheduled to work that day, but in order to be able to make it to a back-to-school event for his children, he had changed his shift. An Officer with the PATH Emergency Services Unit, police work was his life blood. After the 1993 WTC bombing he won a Police Valor Award for carrying disabled people from the towers and received at least a half dozen citations, for exemplary actions, including a group citation for heroic efforts. In 1982 he saved the life of a distraught young man who tried to jump from the roof of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. A proud Irishman, who loved to celebrate his heritage, Callahan was a founder and drum sergeant for the Port Authority's Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band. Click HERE to read a poetic tribute to Liam from his nephew

Police Officer Clinton Davis World Trade Center Command P.O. Shield #1719
Clinton Davis, 39, of Flushing, NY, became a Port Authority Police Officer 14 years ago because he wanted to use his military skills to help others. On the morning of September 11th, that is exactly what he was doing as he ran in and out of the north tower to evacuate people. When he went in one last time, the tower collapsed. They found his body in what appeared to be one of the stairwells of Tower One, where he worked at the ground level. His favorite country song by John Anderson was almost a statement, "I know where I'm going when they lay me to rest," Davis would sing wholeheartedly, "I ain't afraid of dying, Lord. It's the living that scares me to death."

Police Officer Gregg Froehner PATH Emergency Service Unit P.O. Shield #414
Since he was a boy, Gregg Froehner, 46, of Chester, NJ, wanted a job where he could serve others. After college, he became a police officer with the Port Authority Police Department and a unit leader for the Emergency Services Unit of the PATH system in Jersey City. When the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993, Gregg was there to help; in 2000 he was there when an out of control elevator slammed into the tower's ceiling with a dozen people on board; and he was there the morning of September 11th when terrorists crashed the hijacked planes into the towers. But his specialized training in rescues and courses in terrorism didn't save him that day. Gregg rushed into the WTC towers and never made it out alive.

Police Officer Thomas Gorman PATH Emergency Service Unit P.O. Shield #1712
On September 11th, Barbara Gorman was on her way to work and watched from her car as an airplane crashed into One World Trade Center. Miles away, her husband, Thomas "Tom" Gorman, climbed into a rescue truck. Tom, 42, of Middelsex, NJ, was a officer with the Emergency Services Unit of the Port Authority Police Department. No one is quite sure where he was when the towers collapsed, but one thing they are sure of, being one of the first to respond, he died helping others escape. Gorman, who had a passion for his work, was a firefighter for three years at the Bayonne Fire Department before joining the Port Authority Police Department 14 years ago.

Police Officer Uhuru Houston World Trade Center Command P.O. Shield #811
Uhuru Gonga "Bee" Houston, 32, of Englewood, NJ, was a Port Authority Police Officer assigned to patrol and police the halls and plazas of the World Trade Center. He was last seen ascending into one of the Twin Towers to direct frightened workers out. Sonya Houston, who lovingly called her husband "Bee", last spoke to him by phone just after the first plane hit Tower One. Houston projected a love for people and life, and it was this love that caused his untimely death. He enjoyed life, loved the Lord, and had a great personality and spirit.