Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, families of victims are still entrusting personal items to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, preserving tangible links to the lives lost. These donations, including a boarding pass from American Airlines Flight 11, an FDNY shield, and other poignant personal effects, help to remind visitors of the normalcy of the victims' lives and the profound sacrifices made.
One such donation came from Jason Seymour, whose mother, Jacqueline “June” Norton, was en route to California for his wedding when she boarded American Airlines Flight 11. Seymour received a package containing his mother’s purse, which held her boarding pass, cellphone, and other personal items. The boarding pass, remarkably intact, was found after the plane was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Seymour noted the fragility of the pass surviving the destruction, calling it a "miracle." He decided to loan the purse and its contents to the museum to demonstrate that the victims were ordinary people, like "everybody pictures: their mom with a purse."
Darlene Keohane donated the shoes her brother, John Keohane, was wearing when he died. John, an employee of Zurich Insurance, was near the World Trade Center when the attacks began and helped evacuate coworkers. He was last heard from as the South Tower collapsed. His family learned of his death three days later. A pastor who performed last rites confirmed John's final moments, providing solace. Keohane's sister stated that donating the shoes, worn by her brother as he attempted to escape, would help preserve his memory.
The museum also received the front piece of an FDNY Battalion Chief Brian O’Flaherty’s helmet. O’Flaherty was part of the crew that responded to the Marriott Hotel concourse when the South Tower collapsed, sustaining injuries that his family believes saved his life. His helmet had been previously donated, but his wife, Karin, retained the frontal shield until after his death from a 9/11-related cancer in 2022. The shield, now reunited with the helmet, serves as a symbol of the many sacrifices made that day, a reminder of how O'Flaherty and his fellow firefighters ran toward the danger.
