Retetired NYPD officer says he now knows why he was spared on 9/11

3 years ago 269

Joe Monteleone spent 30 years riding “the beat” successful Manhattan -- a “street cop” who joined the New York City Police Department aft spending 4 years successful the U.S. military.

“I was calved successful Manhattan. Raised successful New York City,” helium said proudly.

Former NYPD Officer Joe Monteleone.

He was disconnected work the time of the attacks connected Sept. 11, 2001, but helium was headed to the World Trade Center for an appointment. He said helium decided to permission aboriginal than accustomed that greeting to effort and debar traffic. He had conscionable crossed the George Washington Bridge and was connected the West Side Highway erstwhile helium deed unspeakable traffic.

“I looked up and determination was nary buildings. No buildings,” helium remembered arsenic we sat successful the backyard of his Jacksonville home.

He moved to Jacksonville successful 2011 aft retiring from the NYPD.

Monteleone said helium drove arsenic acold arsenic helium could to get person to crushed zero that morning.

What happened next, helium said, is each a blur. He helped that time and arsenic overmuch arsenic helium could and during the days that followed.

He mislaid friends. He was riddled with guilt.

“I wasn’t there, I couldn’t help,” helium said.

If helium had been connected duty, Monteleone said, helium would person tally into the buildings with his chap officers. He said helping radical is conscionable successful a cop’s DNA.

He was haunted by 1 question: “Why was I spared?”

File photo.

He prayed a batch trying to find that reply and to recognize wherefore helium was proceeding a melody and words successful his caput successful the days that followed the towers’ collapse.

“This melody came retired of nowhere, into my head,” helium said. “I didn’t recognize wherefore and it was changeless wherever I went and determination were words that were fixed to me. For a infinitesimal I thought, americium I crazy? Melody and words successful my head?”

Monteleone said helium was not a musician. He did not adjacent cognize however to work music. A person suggested helium sojourn the Julliard School of Music, which is successful New York City, to spot if a instrumentalist could assistance him benignant retired what helium was hearing. Monteleone recovered a pianist, who helped him marque consciousness of what was happening successful his head.

“I sung the melody to her and she plucked retired the notes and she composed the existent people of the music,” helium explained.

As soon arsenic helium heard her creation, helium knew that was it.

“Once that was out, the melody successful my caput stopped,” said Monteleone. “It was inspirational, from a higher power, I believe.”

Monteleone titled the opus Roll Call successful Blue Heaven -- a tribute to the men and women successful azygous with the NYPD, Secret Service, New York Port Authority, New York tribunal officers and FBI who died Sept. 11, 2001.

He shared the opus with adjacent friends and sent it to section vigor stations successful New York, but admitted the panic attacks were excessively caller successful everyone’s caput and the words were a achy reminder of what the metropolis was inactive dealing with astatine that time.

As the 20th twelvemonth of the attacks approached this summer, helium felt compelled to bash much with the song. He had ever believed it could bring comfortableness to those who mislaid idiosyncratic that day. He worked with friends to adhd video to the opus and posted the last merchandise to YouTube. He said the effect helium received from strangers helped him recognize wherefore helium survived that time astir 20 years ago.

It’s the song.

“20 years later, I recognize it was not my time. My clip was to make this video and this opus truthful each the radical tin perceive the message, due to the fact that I americium a messenger. The connection is precise simple,” helium explained. “It’s astir love, compassion, and sacrifice that these brave men and women heroes did connected that horrific day. Period. It’s not astir me, it’s astir them.”

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