I was born at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in 1996. I am a New Yorker.
Danielle Wright and her cousin Julio Diaz III
9/11 is a day I definitely won’t forget. It was my first day of Kindergarten at Ozone Park’s PS 63 and I couldn’t wait to sport my new Lisa Frank backpack and Reggie top from the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocket Power. I remember it being sunny, and the trees of the school created shadows across the sidewalk. I’m in class, and my former Kindergarten teacher runs out to the hallway, and within seconds it flooded with pure chaos. Teachers are trying their hardest to keep their composure while rushing students to what seemed like the basement of the school. Parents bombarded the area grabbing their children, and I saw my mom in a sea of people. I'm confused yet elated to see her. At 5 years old, I didn’t understand the severity of that day. At 30 years old, it’s still a haunting reminder for my family.
My grandfather, Fabian R. Rojas Jr., had given the police force almost 20 years. While some men go into that line of work for the worst of reasons, he went in to help. Growing up in the 50s, at a time when racism and segregation were at an all-time high, my grandfather knew early on that he wanted to dedicate his life to helping others.
“I always enjoyed helping people. Before I was a police officer, I was an emergency medical technician," he tells me. "I worked on an ambulance taking care of people who were sick or injured or needed medical attention. When you become a police officer, it's a job you want to do because you want to help people. When something happens, the first thing they do is come to you.”
In late August of 2001, he took a three week vacation to visit St. Croix with his mother Helen, and his wife Ruth. After a relaxing week on the islands, he figured he’d continue his PTO with family. A couple days later the Twin Towers were hit.
The story goes that 19 members of Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organization led by Osama Bin Laden and his hatred for the Western world, hijacked four American planes. According to the FBI, all four pilots took flying lessons in the United States, immigrating from Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon. Flight 11 from American Airlines left Boston’s Logan Airport with five hijackers who flew the plane into the North Tower. Flight 175 from United Airlines flew into the South Tower. Flight 77, also from American Airlines, left Washington and flew into the Pentagon, and another United Airlines plane, Flight 93, crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers revolted against the attack. Nearly 3,000 people died on 9/11 with the youngest being only 2 years old. Because of this revolt to our nation, airport security enforced strict entry with TSA, changing the way Americans fly forever.
Earlier that year, in May 2001, my grandfather had completed specialized anti-terrorism training at the Police Academy. At the time, the city anticipated potential attacks involving chemical gas in the underground subways. Nobody expected hijacked commercial airliners to be used as missiles.
My grandfather instantly went into help mode, but after begging from my grandmother, he stayed. My grandparents were living in Rosedale, NY at the time a suburban town just minutes away from JFK Airport. That closeness would send anyone into panic. Once the evening rolled around, she let him go.
“I went to work, and my captain saw me, and he said, 'Sergeant Rojas, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be on vacation?' I said, 'Yeah, but I saw the news, and I know that the department needs every manpower that they can have available. So here I am, I'm back to work.' When I went to the World Trade Center with 10 of my officers, and I personally saw the World Trade Center site, I couldn't believe it. It looked like a war zone. Steel and fire and smoke and debris and dust everywhere," he recalls.
Every day required reporting to Ground Zero by 4:00 AM for grueling 12 to 14 hour shifts with no days off. Officers stood in the rubble forming bucket brigades, frantically sifting through debris in hopes of uncovering survivors. The environment was so suffocating that even search dogs lost their ability to scent through the thick cloud of dust and smoke.
Bodies, rubble, beams, concrete, dust, fog. All morphed into a dangerous fume forcing first responders to wear masks, swapping out filters every day, which brings me back to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Prior to September 11, 2026, New York’s former mayor absolutely insisted that current Mayor Zohran Mamdani should not be allowed on site for the 25th Anniversary of New York’s saddest day. With upstanding professionalism, and the ultimate checkmate, Mamdani released all the files of the former administration lying to New Yorkers about the safety of the air pollution. My grandfather recalls a couple of officers joking to him, asking why my grandfather was still wearing the mask, taking theirs off, and inhaling the bad air quality.
“The EPA made a statement that the air quality was good, that we didn't need to wear any masks. The officers assigned to me said, 'Sarge, we don't need the masks anymore. You can take your mask off.' I remember telling one of them, 'Look up. That's not fog and this is not London. I'm not taking my mask off.' They laughed, but I was serious, and I kept my mask on. The little bit of protection that I could use to protect myself, I did.”
Though our nation prioritizes the Twin Towers, the surrounding areas of Lower Manhattan also took a deep hit. Because of the collapse, buildings within feet of the area were also collapsing or closing, decreasing the air quality and adding more danger as officers, EMTs, firefighters, and more were trying to clean the area.
“I was standing on Church Street and watching the firemen and police officers digging through rubble, and all of a sudden a loud siren went off. They had told us if you hear that siren, you need to get out of the area right away because another building might collapse. I ran as fast as I could up to Broadway. I'm panicked, I have all this equipment on me, I'm tired, and I'm thinking, 'I don't want to be a casualty of the aftermath of 9/11.' That was scary, and that stayed on my mind.”
After a dangerous workday, my grandmother would wash my grandfather’s uniform day after day after day, supporting him in any way she could. Little did we know, that small act of kindness would cause a big loss for the Rojas family. After finally retiring in 2002, my grandparents decided to move down South to Houston, TX, hoping to make it to 50 years together. However, in 2016, Ruth was diagnosed with brain cancer, a mass that grew along the brain stem that even the most experienced surgeon couldn’t reach. After two years of chemo, hope, and prayer, she passed away on May 31st, 2018. Around the same time, conversations started brewing about asbestos, tiny fibers that were used during the construction of the Twin Towers to resist heat, fire, and chemicals, which some medics believe were the cause of the numerous cancers that grew in those first responders and their spouses. Thanks to Mamdani, files confirmed hundreds of tons of asbestos, from 300 to over 2,000 tons total, were used for fireproofing steel beams during the construction of the World Trade Center. Though it’s never been confirmed, our family believes this could have been the cause of my grandmother’s cancer. My grandfather recalls the love for his late wife saying,
“Ruth was the wind beneath my wings. She would lift me up and carry me and help me achieve the goals that I wanted to do. She was my best friend, an awesome wife, great mother, and wonderful grandmother. Every day I make coffee for her so she has her cup in heaven. I put it next to her picture and I greet her good morning and tell her how much I love and miss her.”
The toxic toll of Ground Zero didn't stop there. In May 2022, 21 years after the attacks, my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer stemming from his time on the pile. Following 28 sessions of radiation therapy, he remains resilient and hopeful for a clean bill of health.
22 years after 9/11, my grandfather is still being honored. On September 9th, 2022, Fort Bend County officially declared it Fabian R. Rojas Jr. Day, honoring his efforts and commitment to help revive New York.
“Fort Bend County wanted to honor the first responders of 9/11. When they asked if I would accept it, I said, 'Are you kidding me? I'd be honored to represent the first responders of New York City and talk about what happened.' They honored me at the courthouse, and it felt so good.”
25 years later, New York has had one of its best years yet: a mayor who’s dedicated to giving New Yorkers the leadership they deserve, a history making Knicks win, and a safer city with crime down 6.6%. My grandfather finishes our conversation with what he’s most proud of during his career on the force.
“It would have to be serving at Ground Zero, hoping to be able to find survivors," he said. "When 9/11 happened, people on the street were waving and yelling and calling us heroes, and that made me feel good. I feel proud to be part of that history. I'm glad I was able to make a difference during that time.”