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Sept. 11 Families Face 'Strange, Empty Void' Without Victims' Remains

Russell Mercer replaces old U.S. flags with new ones at the Flushing World Trade Center Memorial at Flushing Cemetery in New York City. His stepson, Scott Kopytko, was killed on Sept. 11. Alex Welsh for NPR hide caption

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Alex Welsh for NPR

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

Sept. 11 Families Face 'Strange, Empty Void' Without Victims' Remains

Fifteen years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the remains of 40 percent of the World Trade Center victims have not been identified. Their families have been waiting for advances in DNA technology.

Sept. 11 Families Face 'Strange, Empty Void' Without Victims' Remains

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For Those Who 'Worked The Pile' At Ground Zero, Horrors Of Sept. 11 Haven't Faded

A construction worker looks up at One World Trade Center in New York City, the central skyscraper under construction at Ground Zero, a year before its 2013 completion. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

For Those Who 'Worked The Pile' At Ground Zero, Horrors Of Sept. 11 Haven't Faded

In 2001, NPR's Dina Temple-Raston interviewed two men who had been hauling away what was left of the World Trade Center towers. Fifteen years later, she went back to find them.

For Those Who 'Worked The Pile' At Ground Zero, Horrors Of Sept. 11 Haven't Faded

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Honoring The Other Fallen Of Sept. 11: Sickened Ground Zero Volunteers

The 9/11 Responders Remembered Memorial in Nesconset, N.Y. John Feal spends 10 hours a day vetting responders for inclusion on the memorial. Courtesy of FealGood Foundation hide caption

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Courtesy of FealGood Foundation

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

Honoring The Other Fallen Of Sept. 11: Sickened Ground Zero Volunteers

WSHU

First responder John Feal created a memorial for other Sept. 11 responders who died not on the day, but of health issues related to working at ground zero.

Honoring The Other Fallen Of Sept. 11: Sickened Ground Zero Volunteers

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Where 7 Political Careers Stood On Sept. 11, 2001

Then: A composite image of Donald Trump (left, clockwise), New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Tim Kaine, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Tim Kaine. Getty Images and AP hide caption

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Getty Images and AP

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

Where 7 Political Careers Stood On Sept. 11, 2001

Hillary Clinton was the junior senator from New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Donald Trump was focused on real estate. Here, a look at where other political players were in their careers 15 years ago.

How New York City Rebuilt Anew After Its Darkest Day

People look out at the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City in 2005, where construction had started on Freedom Tower. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

How New York City Rebuilt Anew After Its Darkest Day

When disaster struck in 2001, New York City hadn't had a comprehensive city planning vision in decades. An exceptional flurry of urban strategizing — beyond ground zero — ensued.

In Ongoing Rebuilding Of Ground Zero, A Balance Of Remembrance, Resilience

Three World Trade Center is under construction near One World Trade Center, which was completed in 2013. The new building stands 1,079 feet tall, and its topping-out ceremony was held in June. Hansi Lo Wang/NPR hide caption

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Hansi Lo Wang/NPR

15 Years Later: The Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks

In Ongoing Rebuilding Of Ground Zero, A Balance Of Remembrance, Resilience

How have developers balanced respect for ground zero's history with taking advantage of some of the most valuable property in the world?

In Ongoing Rebuilding Of Ground Zero, A Balance Of Remembrance, Resilience

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Last Known Sept. 11 Search Dog, Bretagne, Dies At 16

Bretagne, shown here at age 13, worked as a search dog at ground zero after the Sept. 11 attacks. She died Monday at 16, the last known surviving Sept. 11 search and rescue canine. Charlotte Dumas/Barcroft Media via Getty Images hide caption

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Charlotte Dumas/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

The Two-Way

Last Known Sept. 11 Search Dog, Bretagne, Dies At 16

The golden retriever was euthanized Monday in Cypress, Texas, near Houston. Searching through the rubble of ground zero was her very first deployment as a search and rescue dog.

At A Brooklyn Cemetery, A Place Of Work — And An Enduring Memorial

Feliciano stands at the gravesite of his wife, Rosa. "She's buried here," he says. "So Green-Wood Cemetery is ground zero for me." Courtesy of Isaac Feliciano hide caption

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Courtesy of Isaac Feliciano

StoryCorps

At A Brooklyn Cemetery, A Place Of Work — And An Enduring Memorial

After Isaac Feliciano's wife was killed on Sept. 11, he kept going to work at the cemetery, where he's been for 21 years. These days it's also a return to his own "ground zero": his wife's gravesite.

At A Brooklyn Cemetery, A Place Of Work — And An Enduring Memorial

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Unidentified Remains Of Sept. 11 Victims Returned To Ground Zero

Family members of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks demonstrate against the decision to transfer the unidentified remains to a repository at the World Trade Center site. Eric Thayer /Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Eric Thayer /Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

Unidentified Remains Of Sept. 11 Victims Returned To Ground Zero

Some family members protested the move by wearing black gags over their mouths. Others thought the procession and final resting place were appropriate.

The Two-Way

Musical Moment: Paul Simon Sings 'The Sound Of Silence'

As we continue to follow the ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, here's another musical moment from the ceremony in New York. Singer-songwriter Paul Simon performed his classic "The Sound of Silence."

Paul Simon singing 'The Sound of Silence'

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Obama: 'When We Say We Will Never Forget, We Mean What We Say'

President Obama pauses after laying a wreath at the National Sept. 11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York, Thursday, May 5, 2011. Charles Dharapak/AP hide caption

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Charles Dharapak/AP

The Two-Way

Obama: 'When We Say We Will Never Forget, We Mean What We Say'

Marking Osama bin Laden's death where the terrorist inflicted his greatest damage, the president paid his respects by laying a wreath at ground zero in honor of the nearly 2,800 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

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