Jonathan Hile of Englewood was at work in Louisville, Kentucky, on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was a hazardous materials specialist, and like most of us, he watched the coverage in disbelief. But watching wasn’t enough. “I could not sit back and just watch and watch and watch,” he told WINK News. By October, he was in New York City, decontaminating buildings near Ground Zero so displaced residents could return for clothing and personal belongings.
The moment that stayed with him wasn’t the destruction. It was the quiet. Whenever a bell rang across the site, all activity stopped, because the bell signaled that a body had been recovered. A firefighter there explained its meaning to him. Hile went home to Kentucky, became a firefighter himself, and carried that experience into a career of service.
Twenty-five years later, he says what he misses most is the unity that swept the country after the attacks. His hope is that it won’t take another tragedy to bring it back. As the Suncoast marks this anniversary, Hile’s story is a reminder that the response to September 11 wasn’t only about the people in uniform. It was about everyday people who found a way to help.
Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? Share your story with us.
