On September 11th, 2001, Kathy Dillaber and her sister Patty Mickley met in the center court of the Pentagon at their catch-up spot. They talked about the hijacked planes flown…

The founder of a public relations firm known as The Bingham Group, Mark Bingham left San Francisco to catch a flight to New York in August 2001. On September 10th,…

On September 11th, NYC Department of Sanitation supervisor Joseph D’Aleo was at an appointment near the World Trade Center when he saw Flight 11 hit the North Tower. He recognized…

“The Fathers’ Eight” or “Band of Dads” included Bill Butler, Paul Geidel, Lee Ielpi, Jack Lynch, Dennis O’Berg, Al Petrocelli, George Reilly, and John Vigiano Sr. Their adult children vanished…

On September 11th, New York State National Guardsman Kevin Mroczkowski was living near Newburgh, New York. In 12 hours, he joined 8,000 other National Guard soldiers at Ground Zero. He…

DISASTERS Meteorologists’ count indicate Illinois could be No. 1 state for tornadoes so far this year.  The funnel clouds often form in conjunction with derechos, squall lines, and other powerful…

On September 11th, Arthur E. Imperatore’s ferry fleet that he founded in 1986, New York Waterway, were repurposed in the domestic boatlift that delivered evacuees from Manhattan to New Jersey,…

Todd Beamer grew up in Glen Ellyn and graduated from Wheaton College in 1991. On September 11th, 2001, he was on United Airlines Flight 93 to San Francisco. It was…

K-9 Cowboy arrived in New York with his FEMA handler Dave Richards on September 16th, 2001. He joined hundreds of dogs and handler teams and was described as “eerily smart.”…

Since 1960, Dr. Arthur Gudeon has been a podiatrist treating foot and ankle injuries for New Yorkers. At age 66, Dr. Gudeon jumped at the chance to help at Ground…