Survivor recalls horror of 9/11 attacks

John Kostick scrambled for his life down the stairs from the 39th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower on Sept. 11, 2001 – witnessing some of the most terrifying things imaginable amid the inferno that engulfed the building.

“They say that time heals all wounds. You can’t heal that,” Kostick recalled of the horrors of the terrorist attacks that shook the nation 24 years ago.

Kostick was the featured speaker Thursday during Sea Isle City’s annual Patriot Day remembrance ceremony honoring the nearly 3,000 victims who were killed in the attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., and in Shanksville, Pa.

Mayor Leonard Desiderio stressed that the country will “never forget” the 9/11 victims and their families.

“Remembering every person who died and their loved ones is why we are here today and every September 11th,” Desiderio said in his remarks at the ceremony.

    Mayor Leonard Desiderio speaks during the ceremony.
  

Cape May County Commissioner Bob Barr, another speaker, said the terrorists attacks ultimately unified the country as Americans came together to recover from 9/11.

“It was the unity of America,” Barr said. “Everybody was together. Everybody looked out for America.”

Peggy Moore, president of the VFW Post 1963 Auxiliary in Sea Isle City, said the terrorist attacks “forever changed our lives.”

“We had our security blanket ripped out from under us,” Moore said.

Moore added that 9/11 gave Americans a greater appreciation of the police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who “work tirelessly” to protect public safety.

    Members of the audience stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
  

Then it was Kostick’s time to speak. Addressing an audience of more than 200 people seated in Sea Isle’s Veterans Park, he immediately became emotional when he stepped to the microphone.

“It is truly an honor to be here,” he said. “I’m so grateful for each of you.”

Kostick was working as an electrician at the World Trade Center’s North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11, hijacked by terrorists, slammed into the building at 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001.

He was able to save his life by climbing down the stairway from the 39th floor, somehow surviving the smoke and flames that turned the scene into hell on earth. To this day, he remembers hearing the heartbreaking screams of some of the victims in the North Tower.

In an interview, Kostick recalled seeing one man whose clothes were completely charred by the fire. One woman was wearing a dress that had been melted by the flames.

“We had people climbing down the stairs who were badly burned,” he said.

    John Kostick stands in front of a restored New York City Fire Department truck that honors the 9/11 victims.
  

The North Tower collapsed at 10:28 a.m., 30 minutes after the South Tower of the World Trade Center went down after it, too, had been struck by a hijacked commercial airliner.

Kostick would stay at Ground Zero for the next 18 months to help restore electricity in Manhattan during the rescue and recovery efforts following the attacks.

Exposure to the dust, debris and toxins from the rubble of the World Trade Center caused a condition that led to the loss of his voice. His voice is now barely audible.

Kostick’s voice was amplified by the microphone during his remarks at the Patriot Day ceremony. Although he spoke of the sheer terror of the 9/11 attacks, he also delivered a message of hope.

“It’s people like you who can help us heal,” he told the audience.

    Sea Isle City Police Lt. James McQuillen, left, and Fire Chief Bruce Knoll prepare to hand a memorial wreath to City Councilman Mike Jargowsky.
  

Kostick, 62, now serves as a volunteer firefighter in Califon, N.J., a small borough in Hunterdon County.

He also launched and oversees The 9/11 Project in an effort to visit, photograph and catalog each of the 9/11 memorials in the country. He is also involved with the organization 343fund.org to raise money to help pay for mental healthcare services for first responders across the country.

After the 9/11 ceremony, Desiderio and Councilman William Kehner presented Kostick with a ceremonial key to Sea Isle City.

    Mayor Leonard Desiderio, center, is joined by John Kostick and members of the Minchelli family in front of a New City Fire Department truck. The Minchelli family restored the fire truck and included the words "Never Forget" as a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
  

    Members of Sea Isle City's VFW Post 1963 and its auxiliary serve as the color guard during the ceremony.