Alcides Perez Jr. was only a few months out of high school when terrorists flew two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as part of a coordinated attack that killed nearly 3,000 people Sept. 11, 2001.
Perez, living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, witnessed the attacks and saw the first plane go into the North Tower. Not long after, a second one hit the South Tower.
In less than two hours, both towers, iconic landmarks of the New York City skyline, collapsed.
Perez stood and watched it unfold. There was no doubt to him that it was a terrorist attack.
That day had a profound effect on the trajectory of his life, starting just hours after the attack, when Perez, only 17, went to help with rescue efforts.
“I knew I had to get there and try to help out,” Perez, who now lives in Williams Township, recently told The Morning Call.
Months later, he would enlist in the Army and serve two tours of duty over six years.
As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Perez sat down with The Morning Call to share his memories of the day. Here’s his story.
‘A sense of duty’
Just hours after the towers fell, Perez received a phone call from a friend, who said he was going to lend a hand in the rescue and cleanup efforts just. He asked Perez to join him.
The two headed to the staging area for volunteers, and they spent the next 10 days handing out food, water and supplies to those helping in the aftermath. They also helped move pieces of rubble when needed.
“To me it felt like a sense of duty,” he said.
He and other volunteers would load up a truck “to the brim” and hand out food, water and clothes, Perez said. They would also sometimes be part of a “snake-line” chain of people handing small pieces of rubble to one another as responders cleared debris from the towers left following their collapse.
Perez worked 12-hour shifts and sleep at a nearby church. He said he never went home during that time period. He occasionally kept in touch by calling his mom, but Perez largely stayed in the same area for more than a week.
“We just stood there until we just got tired and could not continue anymore,” Perez said.
It was a situation most 17-year-olds don’t deal with.
“It kind of clicked in my head that I had to grow up,” he said.
Grief and sadness overtook people at first, he said, but it was not long until that feeling changed.
“It was kind of like we weren’t going to let it defeat us,” he said. “Things are going to get better.”
A sense of unity followed. People from all over the country showed up to help. There was a feeling of love and respect for each other, he said.
Perez remembered a lot of people, mainly police officers, on the move in the area, and they would stop by for water and food. They would always ask Perez and the other volunteers how they were doing.
He also recalled hopping on the bus one day during the 10-day operation, and the bus driver telling him not to worry about the fare as he dropped them off near Ground Zero.
“It seemed like it was everyone united,” Perez said.
Inspired to serve
After 10 days, civilian volunteers were no longer allowed at the site. Perez, covered in dust, returned home. Though his service at Ground Zero stopped, it pushed him to continue serving his country.
Not even a year later, he enlisted in the Army and served two tours in Iraq between 2002 and 2006. Perez said he knew he wanted to serve in the military, and the attacks Sept. 11 gave him even more reason to enlist. He felt it was an attack on him and his family.
“I always felt in my heart that it was going to be my duty to defend my country,” he said.
Wounded in combat, he received a Purple Heart. He later went on to grad school, and resumed a civilian life.
He was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in 2023 and survived. He’s not sure if the dust at Ground Zero played any role in his illness.
“It’s a sacrifice I made for my country,” he said. “I don’t regret it.”
State Sen. Doug Mastriano in June gave Perez a Pennsylvania Senate citation recognizing him for his time in the military.
“He is truly a man of courage and integrity and honor,” he said.
The last time Perez was at the site of the towers was in 2011, when he worked nearby. It still stirs up memories any time he passes the area. While it reminds him of a sad time for the country, it also reminds him of the unity he witnessed in those moments after.
“That was a very proud time period for me,” he said.