‘I gave up my life to care for my father’: How 9/11 shaped a son’s sense of duty and life trajectory

Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Alessandro Stravato, a witness to the attacks of September 11th. His testimony offers a deeply personal account.

He witnessed firsthand the second plane strike the World Trade Center from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Stravato’s first instinct was not to interpret the historical significance, just find his father, who was working at City Hall. He found him alive, covered in debris and soot, trekking dozens of blocks through Manhattan. "

And while his father did survive, his health seriously deteriorated over the years. By 2015, as Alessandro's dad was losing his battle with cancer, he told his son to "stay strong.