The morning of September 11, 2001, began like any other Tuesday for veteran Post police reporter Larry Celona. However, a news report of a plane hitting the World Trade Center quickly shattered the normalcy.
By the time Celona arrived in Manhattan, the towers had already collapsed, leaving a scene of unimaginable devastation. He described the air as a dense fog of ash, with visibility reduced and streets buried under tons of pulverized concrete, twisted steel, and debris that in some places reached over 50 feet high. The acrid smell was nauseating, and dust covered everything and everyone.
Amidst the wreckage, Celona observed dozens of empty ambulances lined up, coffee carts abandoned with their contents covered in ash, and the once-familiar Century 21 department store with broken windows and significant damage. He noted the stark contrast between the quiet morning and the world that had changed forever within hours.
Celona's reporting experience, which included covering hundreds of crime scenes and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, had not prepared him for the scale of destruction he witnessed. He recalled stepping over body parts and seeing debris from the planes. Emergency responders were working tirelessly, attempting to move debris by hand in a desperate search for survivors, with many officials expressing grim certainty about the minimal chances of recovery.
Initial reports suggested a possible terrorist attack, a phrase Celona had rarely heard before that day. His editor's frantic calls confirmed the city was under attack. Celona was able to reach Ground Zero, where authorities were attempting to ascertain responsibility and organize rescue efforts for the thousands believed to be trapped.
During the chaos, Celona received a call from the wife of NYPD Detective Joseph Vigiano, a friend he had known for years, asking if he had any news about her husband, who was missing. Celona, who knew Vigiano from his previous reporting in The Bronx, held a premonition that his friend might have been among the first responders lost in the collapse. This personal connection intensified the unfolding tragedy for him, as he began to think of other police officers and firefighters he knew who might have been working in the downtown Manhattan area.
Later, at police headquarters, families gathered, waiting for news of their loved ones. Celona witnessed the grief of Detective Vigiano's wife firsthand, and soon after, a list of 23 missing officers was compiled, confirming Vigiano was among those killed in the line of duty.
In the days and weeks that followed, Celona continued to visit police headquarters, speaking with families of the missing officers. He described forging new, sorrowful connections with wives, parents, and siblings, all waiting for a miracle that never came. The days blurred into a constant cycle of pain and the stark reality of loss.
While covering numerous tragic events in the subsequent 25 years, Celona stated that nothing compared to the sustained grief and the sights and sounds of those initial weeks and months after 9/11. He recalls the ambulances, the coffee trucks, and a city that fell into a profound silence.
Celona noted that while the physical destruction has been rebuilt and time has passed, the hurt remains for the families. Many have since found ways to move forward, becoming grandmothers and seeing their children grow into professionals, some even following in the footsteps of their lost loved ones as police officers or firefighters. He acknowledged the heroism of 9/11 extended beyond the immediate rescue efforts, continuing in the resilience and strength of the families left behind who carried on, keeping memories alive while navigating milestones without their loved ones. He remains unable to forget the destruction, the lives lost, and the profound strength of those who endured.