Niels Jorgensen: New York Firefighters and the Heroes of 9/11 | Lex Fridman Podcast #220

The following is a conversation with Niels Jorgensen, a New York firefighter for over 21 years who was there at ground zero on September 11th, 2001. He was forced to retire because of the leukemia he contracted from cleaning up ground zero. This podcast tells his story and the story of other great men and women who were there that day. Some of the stories we talk about are part of a new limited podcast series that Niels hosts called 20 for 20, with 20 episodes for the 20 years since 9/11. To support this podcast, please check out our sponsors in the description. As a side note, please allow me to say a few words about the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. I was in Downtown Chicago on that day, lost in the mundane busyness of an early Tuesday morning. At that time, I was already fascinated by human nature, the best and the worst of it, exploring it through the study of history and literature. In the years before, as a young boy growing up in Russia, I saw chaos, uncertainty and desperation in the Soviet Union of the 1990s, wrapping up a century of war and suffering. But after coming to America, for me, there was a sense of hope, like all of it was behind us. A bad dream to be forgotten as we enter into the new century. On 9/11, when I saw the news of the second plane hitting the towers, my sense of hope had changed. I understood that the 21st century, like the century before, would too have its tragedies, its evildoers, its wars and its suffering. And unlike the history books, these stories will involve all of us. They will involve me, in however small and insignificant a role, but one that nevertheless carries the responsibility to help. I became an American that day, a citizen of the world. I felt the common humanity in all of us. I felt the unity and the love in the days that followed, and I think most of the world shared in this feeling, that we are all in this together. Evil cannot defeat the human spirit. There were many heroes sung and unsung on that day and in the years after. Often politicians fail to rightfully honor the service and sacrifice of these heroes. There is much I could say about that, but I don't want to waste my words on the failures of weak leaders. Instead, I want to say thank you to the men and women who rushed to ground zero to help, who put on a uniform to serve, who make me proud to be an American and a human being, and give me hope about the future of our civilization here on a small spinning rock, that despite the long odds, keeps kindling the fire of human consciousness and love. This is the Lex Fridman Podcast, and here is my conversation with Niels Jorgensen. Take me through the day of September 11th, 2001, as you experienced it, as you lived it.