NYC Detective to Share ‘Memories of 9-11’ at Manchester Library

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, New York City Police Detective Enrique Colon Jr. was at home watching live coverage of the first hijacked airplane that struck the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

When a second plane hit the other tower, he said he knew the U.S. was under attack. He ran to his car. Moments later, he got the call to come in and joined a team whose function was to locate and rescue survivors.

Colon will speak for the first time publicly 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16 at the of the Ocean County Library about his experiences responding at Ground Zero the day of the terrorist attacks and assisting at the site during the months that followed.

“I know there were many other individuals that were also a part of the rescue and recovery process, so I just want to share my story, my emotions, as it unfolded on 9/11,” said Colon, who retired from the police force in 2006 after 21 years of service. “I’m excited to have this talk and allow for an open dialogue with everyone where they can ask what they felt they couldn’t or wouldn’t ask, or didn’t have an opportunity to ask.”

Colon was invited to speak by his sister-in-law, Maria Colon, branch librarian.

“Our patrons will hear firsthand what happened when the towers went down and what NYPD, FDNY and the City of New York did to ensure the safety of the people in those towers and the surrounding area,” she said. “The safety of the people coming out of the towers was important, but there was a school nearby that my brother-in-law had to evacuate.”

Maria Colon said she didn’t know her brother-in-law was at Ground Zero on 9/11 until days later. But, the family had great concern for him as he worked around the clock in utter destruction for months afterwards.

Detective Colon said he developed chronic sinus infections, respiratory infections and asthma as he worked day after day on “The Pile,” looking and listening for signs of life, then later searching the rubble for human remains and belongings to help identify the victims.

“I have been taking medication that has taken a toll on my body with its side effects,” he said. “Many detectives from my office suffered some type of illness. At some point, we all had the WTC Cough, as we called it.”

With his health deteriorating, Colon decided to retire after five years as an officer and 16 years as a detective in the Organized Crime Control Bureau. He now is a ham radio operator in Palm Bay, Florida, where he lives with his wife, Yolanda, and their two young children. His oldest daughter is in college and hopes to join the FBI.

Colon, who grew up in the Bronx, was driven to become a police officer, when, at a young age, his parents’ store was robbed at gunpoint and his mom was handcuffed. He said he promised his mom that he would get them all back.

“I am a family man doing what I vowed to do and I grieved and hurt like everyone else,” said Colon. “We all knew, going into this, we were going to be sick. I have no regrets. It doesn’t matter if I’m sick now or dead later. The fact is, we took an oath no matter what.”

One of Colon’s most striking moments came after being exhausted from working 18 to 24-hour days. He said he was on the West Side Highway, slowing down to the barricade, which was open for personnel only, and a crowd of people started clapping like they would for a celebrity and screaming "thank you."

“My message is that we all played a different role, came from different walks of life, and became ill in the process,” he said. “But we all completed our duties and left feeling equal, humbled and, most of all, honored.”

The program, part of the Ocean County Library’s month-long tribute to the 9/11 tragedy, is open to adults and is free of charge. Call 732-657-7600 or go online to register.

Manchester will not hold a 9/11 commemoration, though the township will issue a proclamation at its Sept. 12 council meeting, said township business administrator Elena Zsoldos.

Colon also will speak at the Stafford Branch of the library on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m.