Thank You for Your Service: Videos from the Reflecting On 9/11 Gallery

The 9/11 Memorial Museum’s Reflecting On 9/11 gallery space and recording booths give visitors a chance to privately unpack their thoughts and feelings after visiting the historical exhibition. Answering an array of prompts on the screens in the recording booths, our visitors provide us with some of our most dynamic and personal video content surrounding 9/11 and its aftermath.

Over the years, we’ve had visitors answer the question, “What would you like to say to those who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts after 9/11?” and it has always garnered emotionally poignant responses. Today we highlight a few of the many heartfelt tributes to the essential workers who helped rebuild New York City after 9/11.

The ability to do what you do, regardless of fear or not, is an incredible, incredible feeling of just pure “thank you.” And I’m just in awe of people who can do that, and do that for a living. All of the men and women who participated in the rescue efforts are just incredible people, and I’m very proud to say I’m an American along with those people. And we’re thinking of you and we love you.

While I personally wasn’t—had no one there that was affected—just the fact that you would risk your life and do that. I know that I want to be a person who is willing to put themselves on the line to help others, to look out for their brothers and sisters in the world. So, I thank you. I think you are the most amazing people that have ever roamed this earth. I think that it takes so much bravery to do what you do and to fight the fight that you do, to put yourself aside and to be completely selfless. It takes something that I can’t even describe, so thank you and all the love in the world.

There’s something to say about people who really give their all, their lives, to help everyone each and every day, and that sort of destruction that happened as the towers fell, they were still running around, trying to help. The self-sacrifice, the heroism of that is just amazing. I think we need to just give thanks that there are people in this world that are willing to give life and limb for people they love. It’s one of those things that you just don’t always think about throughout your day-to-day, but those people who went and tried to rescue and help those on the streets, they are truly amazing. Truly, truly amazing.

To learn more about the rescue and recovery effort, visit the May 30, 2002 commemoration page. 

By Jordan Reisman, Exhibition Media Coordinator, 9/11 Memorial & Museum