On Sept. 11, 2001, Joseph Delaney was in a meeting across the street from the World Trade Center when he heard a loud crash. Moments later, he saw black smoke pouring from Tower One. By the end of the day, Delaney had lost three valued friends and former Deloitte colleagues: Lou Minervino, David Campbell and David Sanchez. He had seen Campbell that morning, not knowing it would be the last time. It was also Delaney and his wife Nancy’s 30th wedding anniversary. He stayed in Manhattan helping Deloitte move essential files and didn’t return home until Sept. 16. Delaney also remembers the heroism of Marines David Karnes and Jason Thomas, who searched the rubble and helped locate two Port Authority officers trapped beneath the debris. Twenty-five years later, Delaney says he still remembers how New Yorkers cared for one another after 9/11. Today, he believes some of that kindness has disappeared as the city has become more divided.
