When the World Trade Center towers fell on September 11, 2001, Scott Larsen was just four years old. His father, a New York City firefighter who shared his name, lost his life in the disaster. The elder Larsen, 35, was stationed temporarily in Lower Manhattan, away from his usual firehouse in Woodside, in the borough of Queens, on the morning two hijacked commercial airliners flown by al Qaeda militants struck the buildings.
He was among the 343 New York City Fire Department personnel killed in the attack 25 years ago. Nearly 3,000 people perished across the attacks, which included those strikes in New York, a third plane flown into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashing in a Pennsylvania field. The unprecedented tragedy shocked the world and left vast numbers of families mourning lost spouses, parents, and children.
Occurring early in the first term of President George W. Bush, the atrocities fundamentally transformed American national security policy. The fallout precipitated multi-decade conflicts that resulted in more than 900,000 fatalities, primarily across Iraq and Afghanistan.
Beyond geopolitics, the catastrophe reoriented countless personal journeys. In the aftermath, several children of the fallen were moved to enter emergency services, while others pursued roles across medicine, the military, and public service. Millions of citizens, first responders, and survivors continue to grapple with the enduring legacy of that day.
Driven to follow in his father's footsteps, Larsen joined the New York City Fire Department and requested an assignment to the Woodside firehouse where his dad previously served. I just always wanted to go here," Larsen, now 29, said during an interview at the firehouse. He is not alone in his choice: 58 children of FDNY firefighters who died on 9/11 have taken the same path, according to data from the International Association of Firefighters.
Reminders of his father fill the firehouse, with his name engraved on a memorial plaque and painted on a fire truck, while photographs hang in the kitchen and break room. "His memory comes up every day, honestly," he said. "There is never a day I come here and I don't look at him." Larsen represents a third generation of firefighters in his family.
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