Gordon Huie: 9/11 survivor remembers sister and urges vigilance

Doctor Gordon Huie was on his way to an appointment at Beekman Hospital on September 11, 2001, when the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. At the corner of Church Street and Fulton Street he was caught in the huge cloud of dust.

After he came to, he went to the hospital and treated the injured there. A conversation about loss, illness - and his commitment to keeping the memory of the victims of 9/11 alive in schools around the world.

tagesschau24: Mr. Huie, after September 11th the phrase “Never Forget” went around the world. As a survivor, do you also feel that the world has not forgotten?

Gordon Huie: I think the world has forgotten quite a lot. 25 years have now passed. I think the world has become a bit jaded. Other things move onto the agenda and the memory of the horrors of that day fade into the background.

"I have post-traumatic stress disorder"

tagesschau24: Your own body, on the other hand, reminds you of this every day. They helped back then, went into the rubble with practically no protective equipment and inhaled toxic dust and smoke. As a result, you have metastatic lung cancer. What does it mean when a historical event lives on in one's own body?

Huie: I am being treated for cancer. I have friends, strangers and even family members saying, "It's been so many years - just move on, let go!" I wish I could. But I can't do it. I am reminded every day of the attack 25 years ago.

For one thing, I lost my sister - I miss her very much. And I have to change my bandages, take my cancer medication and use oxygen intermittently due to my cancer surgery. I have post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I don't want others to forget her"

tagesschau24: Your sister Susan worked above the impact site in one of the towers. You survived and at the same time lost someone very close to you. What should people today understand about this loss?

Huie: Many of us survivors are now dying. And when you lose someone you love or when we ourselves die - I think we don't want to be forgotten. I'm talking about Susan. I'll even show you a picture of Susan. (Editor's note: At this point he holds up a photo of his sister during the interview.)

tagesschau24: Your beloved sister.

Huie: My sister, yes. I want to tell as much about her as possible because I don't want to lose the memories I have of her. And I don't want other people to forget them. She was a wonderful soul. She was a very good leader. And I think she was the greatest Sunday school teacher - that's my personal bias, of course. She has taught for 17 years. I just don't want the world to forget her or the other people, our loved ones.

Mental and physical wounds

tagesschau24: And in addition to those who died, it is estimated that there are still people who are dying from the long-term consequences of September 11th - from cancer, trauma, suicide. Why is it important to you that these people remain part of the memory of September 11th?

Huie: We continue to lose people. It is important to understand the circumstances under which many of us breathed in this dust back then. And this dust is linked to 69 different types of cancer. That's why we are becoming fewer and fewer, because cancer is occurring in more and more people.

There are also many people with trauma, head injuries, amputations and other injuries. And there are suicides. People try to cope with the loss of their loved ones. Others suffer from the guilt of having survived. All of this is connected to the attacks of September 11th. And we will continue to lose a lot of people until essentially all of the survivors are gone and there is no one left.

"Ground Zero is our cemetery"

tagesschau24: What significance does the Ground Zero memorial have for you today?

Huie: Well, the memorial itself is sacred ground for us. As you know, we lost almost 3,000 people that day. 1,100 bodies were never recovered. We therefore believe that the bodies of our loved ones vaporized and became one with the steel of the World Trade Center.

That's why they call it "holy steel". For us it is not a tourist attraction with beautiful waterfalls. It is our cemetery because we have no other place to say goodbye to our loved ones.

tagesschau24: You are still committed to remembrance and education today. If young people only know September 11, 2001 from videos or school books: What should they learn not only about terrorism, but about responsibility afterwards?

"Pass something on, look beyond yourself"

Huie: When I speak to schools around the world, I teach them: Be kind. Pass something on. Look beyond yourself. When someone experiences a disaster like the one we experienced in New York, it is very easy to become angry and feel hatred. But we can take that energy, turn it around and use it for good.

tagesschau24: September 11th continues to have a political impact today. The attacks and their consequences shaped wars, conflicts and international politics. What do you wish for today?

Huie: The more years go by and the more people become numb, the less they think about the horrors and meaning of this day.

And they are using it more for political purposes. I stay out of politics and try to focus on what we've been through - on the human aspect.

The interview was conducted by Damla Hekimoğlu for tagesschau24. The interview was translated from English and shortened and edited for the written version.