By Greg Szymanski

There have been numerous 9/11 survivors and first responders who reported explosions going off before the Twin Towers fell, providing more than adequate eye-witness testimony that jet fuel, as reported by the government, was not the cause for the free-fall of the buildings.

However, this shocking evidence has been virtually ignored by official investigators, including the 9/11 Commission. Instead, official still cling to the flimsy theory that jet fuel from the two airliners caused the towers to topple, even though airplane collisions have never in the history of skyscrapers caused one to collapse.

Although there is plenty of physical evidence to show that towers collapsed in a free-fall due to a controlled demolition, it is this strong eye witness testimony by hundreds of witnesses that proves categorically that the government is purposely covering up its involvement in 9/11.

Years ago, the Arctic Beacon began interviewing numerous witnesses who reported explosions going off inside the Twin Towers just prior to the planes crashing into the upper floors, as well as explosions going off as the buildings came tumbling down in a free-fall.

In fact, this publication was one of the first to extensively tell the story of head janitor William Rodriguez, who along with 14 other people heard explosions emanating from the sub basement of the North Tower a split second after the impact of the jetliner on the top floors.

Rodriguez was huddled together with a group of people in a lower level office when he said:

"When I heard the sound of the explosion, the floor beneath my feet vibrated, the walls started cracking and it everything started shaking."  

Besides the testimony of Rodriguez and the 14 others, completely ignored by the 9/11 Commission, a man by the name of Felipe David who was filling vending machines in the North Tower sub levels, suffered third degree burns from the lower level explosions occurring just seconds after the airplane hitting on the top floors.

According to Rodriguez who ushered David to safety, the burns inflicted on the dying man who miraculously survived could not have come from the airplane fuel above but had to be the result of massive explosions emanating from the sub levels.

"Seconds after the first massive explosion below in the basement still rattled the floor, I hear another explosion from way above," said Rodriguez.  "Although I was unaware at the time, this was the airplane hitting the tower, it occurred moments after the first explosion."

But before Rodriguez had time to think, co-worker Felipe David stormed into the basement office with severe burns on his face and arms, screaming for help and yelling "explosion! explosion! explosion!"

David had been in front of a nearby freight elevator on sub-level 1 about 400 feet from the office when fire burst out of the elevator shaft, causing his injuries.

"He was burned terribly," said Rodriguez. "The skin was hanging off his hands and arms. His injuries couldn't have come from the airplane above, but only from a massive explosion below. I don’t care what the government says, what scientists say. I saw a man burned terribly from a fire that was caused from an explosion below.

"I know there were explosives placed below the trade center. I helped a man to safety who is living proof, living proof the government story is a lie and a cover-up." (Taken from earlier Arctic Beacon stories.)

Besides this harrowing account, The Arctic Beacon interviewed numerous other eyewitnesses who talked about similar explosions throughout the towers before they collapsed, one such witness being firefighter, Lou Cacchioli.

It is important to note as more and more credible witnesses came forward with similar accounts blowing holes wide open in the government’s 9/11 story, the only thing that remained constant was the stonewalling of this this testimony by the 9/11 Commission.

And now after more than 5 years has gone by, a web site at http://patriotsquestion911.com 

put together by Alan Miller has collected revealing eye witness testimony of many survivors, family members and first responders, collected from the pages of the Arctic Beacon and other 9/11 truth telling web sites and journalists, who have tried to get at the bottom of what really happened at Ground Zero.

Here is the list complied by Miller, beginning with his introduction:

 9/11 Survivors and Family Members

Question the 9/11 Commission Report

An estimated 2,973 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.  The death toll at the World Trade Center included 60 police officers and 343 firefighters, 87 passengers aboard American Flight 11, 60 on United Flight 175, and over 2,000 occupants and neighbors of the WTC.  The death toll at the Pentagon included 125 people from the Pentagon and 64 passengers on American Flight 77.  And 44 people lost their lives on United Flight 93.

Many 9/11 survivors and many 9/11 victim family members have expressed significant criticism of the 9/11 Commission Report.  Several even allege government complicity in the terrible acts of 9/11.

The public statements of many survivors contradict the Commission Report.  And the words and actions of some of the victims on that terrible day are in conflict with the Commission Report.  This section is a collection of their statements.  It should be made clear that none of these individuals are affiliated with this website.

Listed below are statements by over 100 9/11 survivors, victims and family members that contradict or are critical of the 9/11 Commission Report. Their collective voices give credibility to the claim that the 9/11 Commission Report is tragically flawed.

These individuals cannot be simply dismissed as irresponsible believers in some 9/11 conspiracy theory. Their statements are based on their intimate familiarity with and intense study of the events of 9/11.  Their criticism of the Commission Report is not inherently irresponsible or illogical,  In fact, it is based on their desire to honor the victims of that terrible day by finding the truth and bringing to justice those responsible for these terrible acts.

If you are a 9/11 survivor or family member who has concerns about the 9/11 Commission Report and would like your comment added to this website, please contact me.  –  Alan Miller

Demand a New 9/11 Investigation!

 WTC STAFF, OCCUPANTS, AND NEIGHBORS 

William Rodriguez

William Rodriguez – WTC survivor.  An American Building Maintenance employee for twenty years, responsible for inspection and maintenance at the World Trade Center, who held the master key for the stairs. He was the last person to leave the building on September 11 and has been credited with saving many lives.  For his efforts, he received the National Hero Award from the Senate of Puerto Rico.  Founder, Hispanic Victims Group.

Article 6/24/05: Regarding an explosion in the sub-basement of the World Trade Center North Tower on 9/11, prior to any airplane impact. "When I heard the sound of the explosion, the floor beneath my feet vibrated, the walls started cracking and it everything started shaking," said Rodriguez, who was huddled together with at least 14 other people in the office. ...[Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Rodriguez was in sub-basement B1 of the North Tower, approximately 1,100 feet below the airplane's impact point at floors 93 to 98.]

"Seconds after the first massive explosion below in the basement still rattled the floor, I hear another explosion from way above," said Rodriguez.  "Although I was unaware at the time, this was the airplane hitting the tower, it occurred moments after the first explosion."

But before Rodriguez had time to think, co-worker Felipe David stormed into the basement office with severe burns on his face and arms, screaming for help and yelling "explosion! explosion! explosion!"

David had been in front of a nearby freight elevator on sub-level 1 about 400 feet from the office when fire burst out of the elevator shaft, causing his injuries.

"He was burned terribly," said Rodriguez. "The skin was hanging off his hands and arms. His injuries couldn't have come from the airplane above, but only from a massive explosion below. I don’t care what the government says, what scientists say. I saw a man burned terribly from a fire that was caused from an explosion below.

"I know there were explosives placed below the trade center. I helped a man to safety who is living proof, living proof the government story is a lie and a cover-up." http://www.arcticbeacon

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Signatory: Petition requesting a reinvestigation of 9/11:    

"We want truthful answers to question. …  As Americans of conscience, we ask for four things:

An immediate investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

Immediate investigation in Congressional Hearings.

Media attention to scrutinize and investigate the evidence.

The formation of a truly independent citizens-based inquiry." http://www.911truth.org/article.php

Signatory 11/19/04: Complaint filed with the Attorney General, State of New York for a new independent grand jury investigation of 9/11.

"We, the complainant signatories below, petition the Attorney General of New York, on behalf of millions of New Yorkers who also call for a fearless independent inquiry; for the sake of residents, workers, and business owners in New York—most particularly in and near "Ground Zero"; and also on behalf of other Americans who have lost employees, friends, and family members as well as health, business, and personal assets and civil, privacy, and other rights in the events of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath.

We approach your office as concerned citizens desiring to bring to light the truth about the events of 9/11." http://www.justicefor911.org

Personal website: http://www.911keymaster.com/

Phillip Morelli

Phillip Morelli – WTC survivor.  Construction worker at the World Trade Center for seven years .

Video interview: "At 8:30 he says he was headed for level B-4 in Tower One [North Tower], four stories below ground.

"... As I'm walking by the main freight car of the building, in the corridor, that's when I got blown.  I mean the impact of the explosion, from whatever happened, it threw me to the floor. And that's when everything started happening.  It knocked me right to the floor. You didn't know what it was.  Of course, you're assuming something fell over on the loading dock, something very heavy, something very big.  You don't know what happened.  And all of a sudden you just felt the floor moving. ... [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Morelli was in the sub-basement of the North Tower, approximately 1,100 feet below the airplane's point of impact at floors 93 to 98.]

I was racing -- I was going towards the bathroom.  All of a sudden.  I opened the door.  I didn't know it was a bathroom   And all of a sudden a big impact happened again.  And all the ceiling tiles were falling down.  The light fixtures were falling, swinging out of the ceiling.  And I come running out the door and everything, the walls were down.  And I now started running towards the parking lots."

Nearly 100 floors below where the first plane hit Phil felt the devastating impact. ...

"As I ran to the parking lots, you know, I mean, everybody screaming ... There was a lot of smoke down there. ... You gotta go clear across the whole -- from One to Two World Trade Center. That's the way you gotta run.

And then all of a sudden it happened all over again.  Building Two got hit. I don't know that. I just know something else hit us to the floor.  Right in the basement you felt it. The walls were caving in.  Everything that was going on.  I know of people that got killed in the basement.  I know of people that got broken legs in the basement.  People got reconstructive surgery because the walls hit them in the face." http://real.ny1.com

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Mike Pecoraro

Mike Pecoraro – WTC survivor.  Stationary Engineer who performed services in all of the buildings at the World Trade Center.

Article Chief Engineer 2002: Mike Pecoraro and a co-worker were working in the sub-basement of the North Tower when the first airplane hit. "They had been told to stay where they were and "sit tight" until the Assistant Chief got back to them. By this time, however, the room they were working in began to fill with a white smoke. "We smelled kerosene," Mike recalled, "I was thinking maybe a car fire was upstairs", referring to the parking garage located below grade in the tower but above the deep space where they were working. [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Pecoraro was in the sub-basement of the North Tower, approximately 1,100 feet below the airplane's impact point at floors 93 to 98.]

The two decided to ascend the stairs to the C level, to a small machine shop where Vito Deleo and David Williams were supposed to be working. When the two arrived at the C level, they found the machine shop gone.

"There was nothing there but rubble, " Mike said. "We're talking about a 50 ton hydraulic press? gone!" The two began yelling for their co-workers, but there was no answer. They saw a perfect line of smoke streaming through the air. "You could stand here," he said, "and two inches over you couldn't breathe. We couldn't see through the smoke so we started screaming." But there was still no answer.

The two made their way to the parking garage, but found that it, too, was gone. "There were no walls, there was rubble on the floor, and you can't see anything" he said.  [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Pecoraro was in the basement of the North Tower, approximately 1,100 feet below the airplane's point of impact at floors 93 to 98.]

They decided to ascend two more levels to the building's lobby. As they ascended to the B Level, one floor above, they were astonished to see a steel and concrete fire door that weighed about 300 pounds, wrinkled up "like a piece of aluminum foil" and lying on the floor. "They got us again," Mike told his co-worker, referring to the terrorist attack at the center in 1993. Having been through that bombing, Mike recalled seeing similar things happen to the building's structure. He was convinced a bomb had gone off in the building. Mike walked through the open doorway and found two people lying on the floor. One was a female Carpenter and the other an Elevator Operator. They were both badly burned and injured." http://www.chiefengineer.org

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Joe Shearin

Joe Shearin – WTC survivor.  Assistant Chief Engineer at the World Trade Center.

Article Chief Engineer 2002: "That morning a note had been left for Joe by the Chief Engineer of the midnight to 8 a.m. shift telling him that a tenant on the 38th floor wanted to see him as early as possible. So after distributing the work orders to his staff, he entered one of the tower's elevator cars and headed up into the building.

On the 38th floor, Joe Shearin exited the elevator and began his walk down the hallway to meet with the tenant who had requested to see him. About 50 feet down the hallway, he heard a loud explosion and was lifted into the air. "I can't even tell you how far I traveled," he recalled. When he landed, people were already coming out of their offices into the hallway. "They were screaming, hollering," he said. "They were asking what they should do and where they should go".  Joe directed them down the stairwells and out of the building.   [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Shearin was on the 38th floor of the North Tower, approximately 650 feet below the airplane's point of impact at floors 93 to 98.]

What Joe first believed was that an equipment room on the 43rd floor, which had an electrical substation, had blown up. He proceeded up the 5 floors to that level. Upon reaching the 43rd floor, "there were patches of ceiling that was just down on the floor, water pipes were broken, water was gushing like a brook or river that was just running down the corridor of the machine room."  [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Shearin was on the 43rd floor of the North Tower, approximately 600 feet below the airplane's point of impact at floors 93 to 98.]http://www.chiefengineer.org

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Statement to reporter 9/11/01: "Me and Mr. Harrison, Corporation Counsel, were on the 25th floor.  I told him we gotta get out of here.  We started walking down the stairs.  We get to the 8th floor.  Big Explosion.  Blew us back into the eighth floor." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IqSsTmWv7k&eurl=

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Statement to reporter 9/11/01: "It just went ba-boom, it was like a bomb went off, and it was like holy hell coming down them stairs.  And then when we finally got to the bottom we were coming out -- on the mezzanine level there and another explosion came .... sent everyone flying.  Right in front of me.  Everybody just went oomph." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IqSsTmWv7k&eurl=

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Statement to reporter 9/11/01: "I'm from the 82nd floor. ... We saw a shadow.  It looked like a plane.  The next thing we know it went ba-boom and the floor started shaking.  And then we saw debris fall down.  And the next thing we know we had to get out of the building.  We were stuck on the stairs for a while. We finally got down to the lobby, and then when we get to the lobby there was this big explosion." http://www.whatreallyhappened.com

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Unidentified WTC Survivor

Statement to reporter 9/11/01: "...and then all of a sudden it started like -- It sounded like gunfire.  You know, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.  And then all of a sudden three big explosions." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IqSsTmWv7k&eurl=

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Tom Elliot

No photo available 

Tom Elliot - WTC survivor.  Aon Corporation, WTC South Tower, 103rd floor.

Article Christian Science Monitor 9/17/01: "Tom Elliott was at work in his office at the Aon Corp., an insurance brokerage firm, on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center's other, south tower. ...

He was just typing in a response when a bright flash of light startled him, and a rumble shook the structure [First plane impact on the North Tower]. Flames appeared to be crawling up the outside of the building, along with dark smoke and debris, burning paper and ash. ...

"I don't know what's happening, but I think I need to be out of here," he remembers thinking. ...

Elliott and two others headed down the building stairwell, a narrow beige corridor with a yellow stripe painted down the middle of concrete steps. ...

They had descended three more floors [to the 67th floor] when United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into their own south tower like an arrow from a giant crossbow. It was 9:03 a.m. [Editor's note: At this point, Mr. Elliot was on the 67th floor of the South Tower, approximately 150 feet below the airplane's center of impact on floors 78 to 84.]

Although its spectacularly televised impact was above Elliott, at first he and those around him thought an explosion had come from below. An incredible noise - he calls it an "exploding sound" - shook the building, and a tornado of hot air and smoke and ceiling tiles and bits of drywall came flying up the stairwell.

"In front of me, the wall split from the bottom up," he says." http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0917/p1s1-usgn.html

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Edna Cintron Close-up

Magnified photo of impact

Airplane Impact at North Tower

 Edna Cintron – WTC victim.  Administrative Assistant, Marsh & McLennan, WTC North Tower

Video of Edna Cintron waving: http://thewebfairy.com/911/humanwaving/

Editor's note: The appearance of Edna Cintron, looking out of the hole in the North Tower caused by the airplane impact, raises doubts about the existence of raging fires at the impact point hot enough to substantially weaken steel, which according to the official account caused the collapse of the Twin Towers.  Note also the near absence of smoke.  See also Chief Orio Palmer.

Bio: http://www.russbaker.com

Frank A. DeMartini

Frank A. DeMartini – WTC victim.  WTC Construction Manager, North Tower, 88th floor.  Demartini first worked at the World Trade Center when Leslie E. Robertson Associates hired him to assess damage from the terrorist truck bombing in 1993.

Video interview 1/25/01: "The [Twin Tower] building was designed to have a fully loaded 707 crash into it. That was the largest plane at the time. I believe that the building probably could sustain multiple impacts of jetliners because this structure is like the mosquito netting on your screen door. This intense grid ­ and the jet-plane is just a pencil puncturing that screen netting. It really does nothing to the screen netting." http://video.google.com

Editor's note: The Boeing 767-200s that impacted the Twin Towers on 9/11 were only slightly larger than 707s and DC 8s, the types of jetliners whose impacts the World Trade Center's designers anticipated.  The maximum takeoff weight of the 707 is 17% less than the 767.

Janette MacKinlay

Janette MacKinlay – WTC survivor. An artist who witnessed the WTC collapse from her home, which was immediately across the street, facing the WTC.  Displaced from her home due to damage from the collapse.

Letter 2/06: "Immediately after 9/11 I wanted to join the army to save my country! After the 9/11 Commission’s obvious cover-up, I knew I had to join the “9/11 Truth” movement, in order to help save my country.

It seems like everyday someone else has the courage to stand up and speak out about the issues that our mainstream media have been “blacking out”.

Dr. David Ray Griffin continues to work fearlessly to examine the events of that day. He authored a second book, The 9/11 Commission Report, Omissions and Distortions, in which he skillfully refutes the findings of the 9/11 Commission." http://www.communitycurrency.org/jl.html

Speech 11/11/06: "I work on trying to educate people about 9/11 literally every day because I was so personally affected that it really never goes away for me. It stays with me 100 percent of the time. ... I was a victim and a survivor ...

It really takes a lot to step outside of your comfort zone and, even for a second, imagine that your government did this to you." http://youtube.com

Member: Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice   Association Statement: "Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice is a non-partisan organization consisting of independent researchers and activists engaged in uncovering the true nature of the September 11, 2001 attacks."

Personal Diary of 9/11: http://www.theneedtoremember.com

Bio: http://www.theneedtoremember.com/artist.html

 FIRE, POLICE, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 

Chief Frank Cruthers

Chief Frank Cruthers – WTC survivor.  Chief of Department, FDNY.  Incident commander on 9/11.

Statement recorded by FDNY 10/31/01: "And while I was still in that immediate area, the south tower, 2 World Trade Center, there was what appeared to be at first an explosion. It appeared at the very top, simultaneously from all four sides, materials shot out horizontally. And then there seemed to be a momentary delay before you could see the beginning of the collapse." http://graphics8.nytimes.com

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Chief Albert Turi, Jr.

Chief Albert Turi, Jr. – WTC survivor.  Currently serves as Chief of the Bureau of Training, FDNY.  On 9/11, served as Deputy Assistant Chief of Safety, FDNY.

Statement recorded by FDNY 12/10/01: Chief Turi arrived at the WTC just prior to and witnessed the second airplane impact.  He entered the North Tower lobby shortly after the second impact, where a temporary command post was located.

"Q: Let me stop you there for a second, chief.   When you were in the lobby of 1 World Trade, can you describe the interior and the condition of the lobby?

Chief Turi: Yes. I was surprised that all the glass was mostly out. I wasn't sure how it got out. I didn't think we took it out. I just assumed that it was the vibration of the aircraft hitting it. And I did notice some pieces of marble that looked like it was dislodged from the core area. ... [Editor's note: At this point, Chief Turi was in the lobby of the North Tower, approximately 1,100 feet below the airplane's impact point at floors 93 to 98.]

And as my eyes traveled up the building, and I was looking at the south tower, somewhere about halfway up, my initial reaction was there was a secondary explosion, and the entire floor area, a ring right around the building blew out. I later realized that the building had started to collapse already and this was the air being compressed and that is the floor that let go. And as my eyes traveled further up the building, I realized that this building was collapsing ..." http://graphics8.nytimes.com

Statement of Firefighter Timothy Julian, conducted by Chief Turi, recorded by FDNY 12/10/01:

Firefighter Julian: ... that's when I heard the building collapse.

First I thought it was an explosion.  I thought maybe there was a bomb on the plane, but delayed type of thing, you know, secondary device.

Chief Turi: I was convinced for a week it was secondary devices.

Firefighter Julian: You know, and I just heard like an explosion and a then a cracking type of noise, and then it sounded like a freight train, rumbling and picking up speed, and I remember I looked up, and I saw it coming down ... " http://graphics8.nytimes.com

NBC report 9/11/01:

NBC Anchor: NBC’s Pat Dawson is close to the scene of that attack. Pat?

Pat Dawson: Just moments ago, I spoke to the Chief of Safety for the New York City Fire Department. The chief, Albert Turi, he received word of the possibility of a secondary device, that is, another bomb going off. He tried to get his men out as quickly as he could. But he said that there was another explosion, which took place. And then an hour after the first hit here, the first crash that took place, he said there was another explosion that took place in one of the towers here. He thinks that there were actually devices that were planted in the building. The second device, he thinks, he speculates, was probably planted in the building." video segment at 39:05 of the 89 minute version of Loose Change, 2nd Edition.

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Chief Orio Palmer

Chief Orio Palmer – WTC victim.  Chief of Battalion 7, FDNY, Manhattan.

Transcript of FDNY radio communications on 9/11: Battalion Chief Orio Palmer took an elevator to the 41st floor of the South Tower, then climbed the stairs to the 78th floor. With him was Fire Marshal Ronald Bucca, who had climbed the stairs from the ground floor. They were the first firefighters to reach an airplane impact zone in either the North or South Tower. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, United Flight 175 impacted the South Tower, "crashing through the 77th to 85th floors".

9:52 a.m.

Chief Palmer: "Battalion Seven ... Ladder 15, we've got two isolated pockets of fire. We should be able to knock it down with two lines. Radio that, 78th floor numerous 10-45 Code Ones."

Ladder 15: "What stair are you in, Orio?"

Battalion Seven Aide: "Seven Alpha to lobby command post."

Ladder Fifteen: "Fifteen to Battalion Seven."

Chief Palmer: "... Ladder 15."

Ladder 15: "Chief, what stair you in?"

Chief Palmer: "South stairway Adam, South Tower."

Ladder 15: "Floor 78?"

Chief Palmer: "Ten-four, numerous civilians, we gonna need two engines up here."

Ladder 15: "Alright ten-four, we're on our way."

9:52 a.m.

Battalion Seven Aide: "Seven Alpha for Battalion Seven."

Chief Palmer: "South tower, Steve, south tower, tell them ...Tower one."

Chief Palmer: "Fifteen."

Chief Palmer: "I'm going to need two of your firefighters, Adam stairway, to knock down two fires. We have a house line stretched we could use some water on it, knock it down, kay."

Ladder 15: "Alright ten-four, we're coming up the stairs. We're on 77 now in the B stair, I'll be right to you."

Ladder 15 Roof: "Fifteen Roof to 15. We're on 71. We're coming right up."

9:57 a.m.

"Division 3 ... lobby command, to the Fieldcom command post."

Chief Palmer: "Operations Tower One to floor above Battalion Nine."

Battalion Nine Chief: "Battalion Nine to command post."

Battalion Seven Operations Tower One: "Battalion Seven Operations Tower One to Battalion Nine, need you on floor above 79. We have access stairs going up to 79, kay."

Battalion Nine: "Alright, I'm on my way up, Orio."

Two minutes later, at 9:58:59, the South Tower collapsed in 10 seconds.   http://911research.wtc7.net

Editor's note: Chief Palmer's calm assessment of the situation and his confidence that the "two isolated pockets of fire" can be controlled with two more firefighters raises doubts about the existence of raging fires at the impact point hot enough to substantially weaken steel, which according to the official account caused the collapse of the South Tower two minutes after his last radio message.  See also Edna Cintron.

Bio: http://www.ladder12fdny.com/oriopalmernewsday.html

Assistant Fire Commissioner Stephen Gregory

Assistant Fire Commissioner Stephen Gregory – WTC survivor.  Bureau of Communications, FDNY

Statement recorded by FDNY 10/3/01: "I don't know how valid this is with everything that was going on at that particular point in time, but for some reason I thought that when I looked in the direction of the Trade Center before it came down, before No. 2 [South Tower] came down, that I saw low-level flashes.  In my conversation with Lieutenant Evangelista, never mentioning this to him, he questioned me and asked me if I saw low-level flashes in front of the building, and I agreed with him because I thought -- at that time I didn't know what it was. I mean, it could have been as a result of the building collapsing, things exploding, but I saw a flash flash flash and then it looked like the building came down.

Q. Was that on the lower level of the building or up where the fire was?

A. No, the lower level of the building. You know like when they demolish a building, how when they blow up a building, when it falls down? That's what I thought I saw. And I didn't broach the topic to him, but he asked me. He said I don't know if I'm crazy, but I just wanted to ask you because you were standing right next to me. He said did you see anything by the building? And I said what do you mean by see anything? He said did you see any flashes? I said, yes, well, I thought it was just me. He said no, I saw them, too. ....

Q. On the television pictures it appeared as well, before the first collapse, that there was an explosion up on the upper floors.

A. I know about the explosion on the upper floors. This was like eye level. I didn't have to go like this. Because I was looking this way. I'm not going to say it was on the first floor or the second floor, but somewhere in that area I saw to me what appeared to be flashes. I don't know how far down this was already. I mean, we had heard the noise but, you know, I don't know." http://graphics8.nytimes

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Assistant Fire Commissioner

James Drury

No photo available 

Assistant Fire Commissioner James Drury – WTC survivor.  Bureau of Investigations and Trials, FDNY.

Statement recorded by FDNY 10/16/01: "When the dust started to settle [from the collapse of the South Tower], I headed back down towards the World Trade Center and I guess I came close to arriving at the corner of Vesey and West again where we started to hear the second roar. That was the north tower now coming down. I should say that people in the street and myself included thought that the roar was so loud that the explosive - bombs were going off inside the building. Obviously we were later proved wrong. ...

That's basically what my memories are of the day. The sight of the jumpers was horrible and the turning around and seeing that first tower come down was unbelievable. The sound it made. As I said, I thought the terrorists planted explosives somewhere in the building. That's how loud it was, crackling explosive, a wall. That's about it." http://graphics8.nytimes.com

Editor's note: Despite hundreds of eyewitness reports of explosions throughout the Twin Towers by doomed victims, survivors, emergency service personnel, reporters, and bystanders, the 9/11 Commission Report contains virtually no mention of them and entirely ignores them in its conclusions.  Graeme MacQueen's analysis of oral histories of 9/11 taken from 503 FDNY survivors reveals more than 100 FDNY personnel reported explosions in the Twin Towers.

Captain Dennis Tardio