At A Brooklyn Cemetery, A Place Of Work — And An Enduring Memorial
On Sept. 11, 2001, Isaac Feliciano dropped his wife off at the subway so she could get to her job at Marsh & McLennan, in the south tower of the World Trade Center. Then, he headed to work himself — at the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, where he's worked for the past 21 years.
When the plane struck the tower, even as far away as he was, Feliciano was still able to see the damage firsthand.
"They say it's the highest point of Brooklyn, so you could see the fire, the flames and all the smoke," Feliciano recalls, on a visit with StoryCorps. "I said, 'Oh, my god my wife is there.' She worked on the 96th floor, but I was just hoping for the best."
His wife died 14 years ago Friday, at the age of 30. At the time, though, Feliciano's daughter was just 2 years old; he says the tragedy didn't truly sink in for him until he heard her screaming and crying, calling for her mother.
"That's when it hit me," he says.
Since 2005, StoryCorps and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum have worked to record at least one story to honor each life lost in the attacks on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. To hear more stories click here.
