Originally published in LinkedIn September 11, 2024
A couple of years ago, my family and I went to New York during Christmas break. I wanted my kids to see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I’ve been there a few times, and each visit teaches me something new about the service and sacrifice of that day.
The museum does a remarkable job honoring those who gave their lives. One of the pieces that always stands out is the remains of Ladder Company 3. Eleven members of the company entered the North Tower on September 11. Because the call came in at shift change, both the off-going and oncoming shifts responded. All eleven were lost, shortly after their captain, Patrick “Paddy” Brown, refused an order to evacuate.
“You know, I think of the one radio transmission between Chief Pete Hayden and Captain Paddy Brown. Chief Hayden is talking to him as we’re coming down the stairs, and I’m hearing this over the radio. Pete Hayden is calling Captain Paddy Brown, saying, ‘Command Post to Ladder 3, get out of the building. Get out of the building.’ And Paddy Brown gets on the radio and says, ‘I refuse the order,’ which is unbelievable, you know, that somebody would say that. He says, ‘I refuse the order. I’m up here on the 44th floor, and I’ve got too many burnt people with me. I’m not leaving them.’” —FDNY Deputy Chief Jay Jonas
The last communication from Ladder 3 was Brown calling dispatch. He said they were still heading up, trying to evacuate burn victims through the stairwells. Moments later, the North Tower collapsed.
“This is 3 Truck, and we’re still heading up, alright?” —FDNY Capt. Patrick Brown
The collapse of the North Tower crushed the front cab of Ladder 3. Only the back section remains on display at the museum, with the warped steel and ladders showing the devastation of that day.
On my most recent visit, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before, a compartment door from Ladder 3. Before the truck was installed in the museum, that door had been removed and used as a memorial back at the firehouse. Painted on it were the words, “Jeff We Will Not Forget You!” in honor of firefighter Jeffrey Giordano.
Jeffrey Giordano was born on January 21, 1956, in Brooklyn, New York. He met his wife Marie when he was 15 and she was 13. In August 2001, Jeff and Marie celebrated their 21st anniversary. They had three children. Jeff became a firefighter after promising Marie’s father, who was severely injured in the burn center at New York Hospital, that he would join the fire service.
Jeff started with the FDNY in 1987 and soon joined Ladder Company 3. During his 14 years there, he earned numerous awards, including the Albert Johnson Award for saving two people trapped in a blazing building. The Life Saving Benevolent Society also honored Giordano for diving into the East River to save a drowning man. In his off time, Jeff was an avid runner, completing more than 15 marathons. He was also a dedicated fundraiser for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation.
On the morning of Sept. 11, Jeff called his wife to wake up the kids because he was going to be on TV raising money for the foundation. The segment was part of WB11’s promotion of the upcoming New York Firefighter Cook Off. Recently retired FDNY firefighter Joe Bonanno, who was part of the TV spot, recalled joking around while cooking pasta with Jeff. As Bonanno was leaving the station, he heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.
Marie’s last communication with Jeff was a phone call in which he told her he was heading to the WTC. Marie remembers, “I could feel the adrenaline flowing as he spoke.”
“When the towers collapsed, I knew he was in one of them,” Marie said.
Like 40% of the 9/11 victims, Jeff Giordano’s remains have not been identified. Behind the Wall of Blue at the 9/11 Memorial is a repository for all unidentified remains. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York continues to use the latest DNA technology to try and identify them.
The legacy of Ladder Company 3 and the firefighters who gave their lives on September 11, 2001, is a powerful reminder of the courage and selflessness that defined that day. Seeing the inscription, “Jeff We Will Not Forget You!” is more than a tribute; it’s a promise that these heroes will always be remembered. As I reflect on 9/11, their stories, like those of Captain Paddy Brown and Jeff Giordano, stay with me, reminding me of the resilience, service, and sacrifice that can never be forgotten.