WEBVTT 00:02.570 --> 00:07.000 - On my way back from the service station going to work, 00:07.000 --> 00:08.720 I heard it come over the news, 00:08.720 --> 00:11.853 that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. 00:14.570 --> 00:16.085 And then moments later, 00:16.085 --> 00:19.890 through the sunroof I heard fighter jets flying over. 00:19.890 --> 00:23.230 And, you know, when I got to work, 00:23.230 --> 00:24.710 that's when I put the television on 00:24.710 --> 00:27.357 and we watched the devastating news. 00:27.357 --> 00:28.400 - [Woman On Television] ...pretty much looking 00:28.400 --> 00:29.463 out the window. 00:29.463 --> 00:31.676 I didn't see what caused it or if there was an impact. 00:31.676 --> 00:33.785 - [Bryant Gumbel] So you have no idea right now... 00:33.785 --> 00:34.720 - [Woman On Television] Oh there's another one! 00:34.720 --> 00:35.553 Another plane just hit! 00:35.553 --> 00:38.127 - [Video Interviewer] So what was it like 00:38.127 --> 00:40.785 seeing the aftermath of the 911? 00:40.785 --> 00:45.330 - A total devastation, I guess I could put it. 00:45.330 --> 00:47.200 You're so used to seeing the Twin Towers there 00:47.200 --> 00:48.360 and the other buildings there 00:48.360 --> 00:50.761 and people walking in the streets. 00:50.761 --> 00:52.490 After 911, it was just 00:52.490 --> 00:55.593 a pile of rubble and smoke everywhere. 00:56.760 --> 00:58.450 We were off to the side 00:58.450 --> 01:00.430 and one of the fire departments down there, 01:00.430 --> 01:01.390 one of the stations. 01:01.390 --> 01:03.240 So we were sitting there as a standby, 01:03.240 --> 01:06.343 waiting on a call to go to Ground Zero. 01:09.090 --> 01:11.920 Brought everybody together through the devastation. 01:11.920 --> 01:13.880 We all learned to pull through it 01:13.880 --> 01:15.313 and grow stronger together. 01:16.600 --> 01:19.840 People that you never even know were helping everybody out. 01:19.840 --> 01:21.098 They wanted to pitch in. 01:21.098 --> 01:23.697 People from all over the world wanted to pitch in, 01:23.697 --> 01:25.250 not just new Yorkers. 01:25.250 --> 01:28.568 People were donating blood, anything they could. 01:28.568 --> 01:31.250 Other fire departments were coming from around the world 01:31.250 --> 01:34.464 to pitch in and give a hand to, to New York. 01:34.464 --> 01:38.640 (soft instrumental music) 01:38.640 --> 01:39.700 - I'm Justin Cusano. 01:39.700 --> 01:41.630 I'm from Ossinging New York. 01:41.630 --> 01:45.490 On September 11th, I was nine months old. 01:45.490 --> 01:48.570 Since my father was a fireman, growing up, 01:48.570 --> 01:51.070 I've always wanted to be like him and, you know, 01:51.070 --> 01:52.800 kinda follow in his footsteps. 01:52.800 --> 01:53.913 If he sees himself fail, 01:53.913 --> 01:56.330 he makes sure it doesn't happen again. 01:56.330 --> 02:00.350 So I've always grown up wanting to be like that. 02:00.350 --> 02:02.323 And I never really told him that, 02:02.323 --> 02:04.960 because I didn't want him to like see my weak side. 02:04.960 --> 02:08.700 But everything he did, I looked up to it 02:08.700 --> 02:10.953 and tried to do it better than him. 02:14.330 --> 02:16.760 My dad, when I was younger, always brought me 02:16.760 --> 02:17.810 around the firehouse. 02:19.150 --> 02:21.961 - [Rocco Cusano] He always helped out around here. 02:21.961 --> 02:24.510 Whether it was pitching in, sweepin' up the floor, 02:24.510 --> 02:28.190 cleanin' equipment, gettin' the truck ready for a parade. 02:28.190 --> 02:29.630 He made a lot of friends here. 02:29.630 --> 02:31.620 He was in the junior fire department, 02:31.620 --> 02:34.830 started at age 14 through age 18. 02:34.830 --> 02:36.300 And then it wasn't until age 18 02:36.300 --> 02:39.473 when he became a full fledged firefighter. 02:41.550 --> 02:43.290 - [Justin Cusano] We'd be there every day. 02:43.290 --> 02:48.120 And I just, I fell in love with the whole brotherhood 02:48.120 --> 02:50.350 that was going on there. 02:50.350 --> 02:52.810 The job itself is very like adrenaline pumping. 02:52.810 --> 02:54.853 It's right up my alley. 02:58.210 --> 03:01.880 9/11 was a big impact for me joining the Marine Corps 03:01.880 --> 03:05.033 because of my father's actions that day. 03:06.690 --> 03:08.630 I did it because of him. 03:08.630 --> 03:12.100 Because of my family, but mainly because of my father. 03:12.100 --> 03:13.460 'Cause he always gave me that push 03:13.460 --> 03:14.860 and that motivation in life. 03:18.250 --> 03:19.900 - [Rocco Cusano] Oh, I'm extremely proud of him. 03:19.900 --> 03:21.790 It's a, it's his lifelong dream. 03:21.790 --> 03:25.030 You know, Justin was always wanting to be in the military. 03:25.030 --> 03:27.170 He would run around with his Nerf guns 03:27.170 --> 03:29.650 and his friends and dress up in camo gear 03:29.650 --> 03:32.193 and you know, pretendin' that he was in military. 03:33.920 --> 03:35.240 He's always wanting to do this. 03:35.240 --> 03:37.203 And his dream became a reality. 03:38.780 --> 03:41.380 It's just, it's just a proud feeling being a father. 03:43.860 --> 03:44.920 - [Justin Cusano] It's a total coincidence for me. 03:44.920 --> 03:45.753 I had no clue. 03:45.753 --> 03:48.693 I was graduating on the 11th of September. 03:49.950 --> 03:52.990 I believe it had a lot to do with fate. 03:52.990 --> 03:57.990 And somewhere out there, God had a plan 03:58.460 --> 04:01.080 and he wanted this to happen. 04:01.080 --> 04:03.330 So he said set it up this way 04:03.330 --> 04:04.880 so that it fell onto that date.