PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s been 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A quarter-century of saying “never forget," but what do we really remember? On this KYW Newsradio special, we look back at the tragedy and its aftermath and think about how to move forward.
Listen to the podcast in the player below, or on the Audacy, TuneIn and iHeart apps. Read and listen to excerpts from the special below.
Fighting for health benefits
Many first responders who helped in Ground Zero recovery efforts are still dealing with the aftermath. Former Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Fisher has faced increasing medical issues.
“I have been under evaluation for a lung transplant since January of 2025,” he said. “I have trouble breathing; I’m susceptible to infections. This past summer has been really tough on me, because I started out in June with a kidney infection … [and] I wound up with a gallbladder infection.”
Fisher is fighting to get the city to acknowledge his illness as job-related so that his wife can receive benefits in the event of his death.
“I don’t need anything more in life. I don’t need money,” he said. “I’m OK. I just want Sue to be taken care of. She’s my best friend.”
Continuing education
Dan Joyce was in his first days on the job as the TV lab teacher at Wissahickon High School. A quarter century later, he’s still there, teaching 12th-grade social studies.
Like his job, teaching 9/11 to students has evolved, especially to younger generations of kids with no living memory or firsthand experience.
“It went from being current events to distant current events, to now it’s history,” he said.
“I always try to personalize that day so that they can make a connection. This isn’t just history. There are lots of us around. Ask anybody around, and they can tell you every single detail about that day. And that’s what’s important to impart to the kids today — of making it personal, so it’s not just in a book.”
Telling victims’ stories
For radio reporter Tim Lambert, a phone call from Somerset County coroner Wallace Kennedy weeks after the attacks set him on a path he could have never imagined.
“He said, ‘Mr. Lambert, I’m the coroner of Somerset County. I’m in control of what’s the crash site of Flight 93, and I just want to let you know that a part of your land is considered an essential part of the crash site.’”
Lambert developed a special bond with the families of the heroes on Flight 93, who wrestled control of the airliner away from the terrorists.
He recounted his first meeting: “The mother comes over to me and starts making small talk. She was like, ‘Oh, so you’re a journalist.’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ Then she looked me in the eye and said, ‘Tell their story.’”
