Robert Albertson

On September 11, 2001, Robert Albertson worked for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). He was assigned to a motorcycle unit, Highway Patrol 4 in Midtown Manhattan.

The morning of the attacks, Albertson was out sick and at his surgeon’s office. While there, a nurse, who was the wife of one of his colleagues, ran in and said that the Twin Towers were hit. She then turned the television on to watch the news unfold. Albertson recalls everyone’s panic in the office.

Albertson recalls the smell and he will never forget it, as well as the ground being covered with debris so high that it almost reached his knees. Albertson, among others, were told that the air quality was healthy, so they spent the first two days with nothing protecting their respiratory system, breathing in toxic fumes. Eventually, they were advised to begin wearing masks, however, Albertson recalls that the mask did not account for the ash and debris building up on their skin, clothes, or shoes.

Albertson recalls working 12 hours per day, six days per week for the first couple of weeks following the attacks. Each night when he returned home, his family gave him a hug and his young daughter would yell, “Daddy’s home, Daddy’s home.” Albertson recalls recognizing the importance of family in those moments and was humbled thinking about his missing neighbor across the street, Joe Mascali, who was a FDNY fireman that worked for Rescue 5. Albertson will never forget the screams that came from Joe Mascali’s wife when members of the FDNY went to her house and confirmed the death of her husband.

A few days after 9/11, Albertson recalls being held up at work because of President Bush’s arrival at the site. After working for 18 hours and experiencing fatigue and stress, Albertson received a gift from a stranger while in his car; a fresh, hot pizza. He thanked the civilian and happily called a few of his colleagues over to share the pizza with him.

Albertson retired from the NYPD in February of 2015. In 2019, he was diagnosed with a form of multiple myeloma just before being diagnosed with skin cancer from his exposure to toxins during 9/11. After going through chemotherapy and entering remission, it was a wake-up call for him to realize that tomorrow is not a given. He is thankful to have made it through and is appreciative of everything in his life.

Albertson believes it to be important to teach the youth about September 11, 2001 so they are aware of the reasoning behind certain things, such as why they need to take their shoes off at airport security or have a REAL ID, among other things. He acknowledges the trauma that New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville endured and continue to endure. To Albertson, the phrase, “Never Forget,” is more about what people choose to remember. He believes that it is imperative to tell the stories of those who have lost their lives to keep their legacies alive so their memory will never fade.