Jeff Simmons: Mr. Mayor, welcome back to City Watch.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Great to be on with you.
Simmons: This show is all about 9/11 and I'd love for you to take us back to where you were and what you were doing the morning of September 11th.
Mayor Adams: And it was so important to do these shows because the further you get away from the actual incident, many of our young people don't really know what took place. If you're a 17-year-old, a 16-year-old, it just becomes almost a blur instead of how powerful this was for the city. I was a lieutenant at the time. That was election day, primary election day.
I was uptown on the Upper West Side. Helping someone named Norman Siegel run for public advocate. And while we were at the train stations, because it was early in the morning, the a.m. hours, I walked past a store where everyone was really gazing at the TV set. And when I peeked my head inside, they showed the replay of a plane flying into the building of the Trade Center.
And immediately I thought terrorism. It was just such a direct hit. I knew that area because as a younger police officer, I was assigned to that area. That was one of my posts [on] Chamber Street on the A and Park Place on the 2 line.
And then a short period after, as we were watching the television set, we saw the next plane fly in. And whenever something happens like that, police officers are known– we're known to automatically be deployed to your closest precinct, your home precinct, or your precinct of assignment. And I started to go to the train station to do just that.
Simmons: And then later in the day, if I'm correct, you went down to Ground Zero?
Mayor Adams: Yes. When I tried to take the train down, smartly, the MTAs ceased all travel to Lower Manhattan. And so it became a caravan of New Yorkers just walking. Downtown. I guess people who lived in Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, or just curious onlookers who wanted to see exactly what took place. And so I went to my command. It was the 88th precinct at the time. That's in the Clinton Hill, Fort Greene area of Brooklyn. And I was assigned with a small detail.
And then that evening, as the platoon commander, I went over to Ground Zero. It was a sight that's beyond imagination. Because I was assigned there, I remember how tall and how massive the buildings were. If you look at it on TV, it doesn't really give you a real understanding of how large this space was.
And when I got there and saw just the buildings were gone and the ground was smoldering, police officers, military personnel, [and] volunteers were all there. They were all just covered in soot. There was just this eerie feeling that I've never experienced before in my life of, are we going to make it through? And what is going to happen to our country?
Simmons: Now, while you didn't know anyone personally who was killed that day, is there someone you think about on this day that you want to pay tribute to?
Mayor Adams: Actually, there were several people I knew personally. One was a very good friend, Officer Perry. Officer Perry was retiring that day. He retired. He was actually turning in his supplies for the Police Department, filling out the necessary documentation. It was his last day. And when the buildings hit, he went to the equipment section at One Police Plaza and purchased a shirt, a police officer's shirt, so that he can go down and people will realize that he was a police officer.
And he went into the buildings. And when the buildings collapsed, since he was not on duty or no longer an active officer, no one knew what happened. But one of the officers who was active, he shared that Officer Perry was in the building. He was next to me. I saw him in the building. And that started the whole review to see where was Officer Perry. They went to his home, his family, and no one was able to find him. And then it came up that he was in the building and he lost his life.
Simmons: You know, the recent reports have indicated that a few more of the remains have been identified, but there's still such a substantial amount that have yet to be identified. What does this ongoing process mean for this city?
Mayor Adams: It's important to identify the bodies. Closure is important to know that your loved one is either in an urn or you had some type of ceremony, the question is not lingering, you know, are they around somewhere, had amnesia, you know, you just want closure.
And so when you're able to gather the DNA and identify and let that family member, that loved one, the children, the grandchildren, know that your family member was identified, and it just sends the right signal.
You know, you think about the Navy SEALs motto, [No man left behind.] We should leave no one in the field of uncertainty. Loved ones should know what happened and the remains of [anyone] should be returned to those family members.
Simmons: You know, you indicated what you were doing the day of 9/11. And I'm curious how that incident of terrorism shaped your outlook on public safety and leadership and your career in public service.
Mayor Adams: The commitment [and] resiliency. New York represented resiliency during that time. 9/11 happened, the center of our trade collapsed, and we got up [on] 9/12. Teachers taught, cab drivers drove their cabs, retail shops opened their gates. We showed America and the globe that we're not going to crumble. And I found it was so significant. Because we were Ground Zero. There's a reason we call it Ground Zero.
The bad people wanted to shatter our spirits, and they knew they'd come to the most important city in America, and if they could collapse our spirits, then it would cascade throughout the entire country. Yes, you know, we had the planes that went down in other places, including that struck the Pentagon, but it was New York. New York was the place. And when we got up. America got up.
Simmons: What lessons did 9/11 teach you about leadership that now inform how you serve as mayor?
Mayor Adams: Resiliency. I think that's the most important term. When you are hit that hard, it knocks the wind out of you. And you begin to question, did you do something right or wrong? Those are the ups and downs of life. And it's important to have the visible presence of leadership. You know, one could criticize Mayor Giuliani, like or dislike him, but the fact is he showed leadership during that time.
He showed a level of clarity. He deployed the police personnel properly to make sure they went to those high profile sites. He led from the front. He did not send the troops into battle, and asked, “How was the war?” You saw– many images of him holding a face mask, walking down the avenues of Ground Zero. And that's leadership.
And, you know, I took a part [in] that when I became mayor. Whenever we had a horrific incident, such as the fire in the Bronx at the beginning of my administration, losing Officer Mora and Rivera, it really stunned our city to look at. In our first few weeks, we had several police officers that were shot. And people were wondering what is happening to our city. And it was imperative for me to show up, be present, and lead from the front and not just send the troops into battle.
Simmons: You know, sometimes it's so difficult to imagine that this is now 24 years ago. And I wonder, in your view, how have you seen New York City change since that time in terms of resilience or spirit or community?
Mayor Adams: That is a great question. There's some parts of the city that I'm pleased to see. But then there's others that I find troubling. The lack of patriotism. It is unfortunate. My son was six years old during the 9/11 attacks. And I think our failure to really explain what this country means. And great countries don't explode, they implode.
And I believe there's an implosion of the lack of patriotism among our young people. Where you have their unwillingness to understand that no country is perfect. But there's a level of dedication and commitment here in America. I think about my Uncle Joe [who was] 19 years old.
He didn't agree with everything that was happening in this country during the 60s. In fact, there was a lot of turmoil. But when the country called, he responded. And he lost his life on the field in Vietnam. I don't see that same level of love and dedication and commitment to this country and a lack of patriotism. And it's concerning.
Simmons: And given what you just said– I've got two more questions. What's the most respectful way for New Yorkers and Americans to observe and honor 9/11, especially as time passes?
Mayor Adams: To do something that I like that my Jewish brothers and sisters do around Passover. They constantly remind the next generation of the struggles and of the history. And have dinner with your family members or loved ones. Or use technology and have a Zoom with our young children. Or just do a family gathering.
Thousands of New Yorkers lost their lives on that. But also in the days after. And just give an account of what happened. What it meant. Why it happened. I'm now seeing comments that we deserved it. You know, I'm hearing young people praising bin Laden and others.
And we need to really explain the history of what happened that day, why it happened, and how innocent people were lost. I think that's the best thing we can do. That's the best thing we can do as we reflect on 2001, September 11.
Simmons: So finally, what message would you give to New Yorkers and the broader audience at WBAI hearing your reflections on 9/11?
Mayor Adams: This is the greatest country on the globe. And I believe one of the most important parts of that is New York City. A city that has been a welcome mat for all who came here. Not only because of Lady Liberty that sits in New Harbor. But also our policies. This city has an awesome responsibility to allow people to come here and know that this is a nation of immigrants.
This is a nation where we discuss things and where we decide what direction we want to go in through ballots and not bullets. And 9/11, individuals made the decision that they wanted to use destruction, instead of discussions. We can't allow that to happen again.
Simmons: Mr. Mayor, I want to thank you so much for appearing here on City Watch this week.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
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