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Experiences and Contributions of the U.S. Navy in New York After 9/11

Collection Number: AR/643

Deployment Dates: 7-11 February, 3-15 March 2002 

Collection Overview

This collection contains historical materials and oral histories collected by DET 206 (NCDU) reservist CDR Peter A. Schneider in February and March of 2002.  The historical materials and oral histories document the contributions of the U.S. Navy in New York City following the attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001.

CDR Schneider visited a number of Department of Defense installations in the New York area during this deployment. His schedule for the trip was as follows:

3-5 March: Naval Submarine Base New London Groton, Connecticut
5-7 March: Naval Station, Newport, Rhode Island
7-8 March: Naval Submarine Base New London Groton, Connecticut
11 March: Navy Office of Information, East
12 March: Fleet Support New York
14 March: Fort Dix, New Jersey & Lockheed Martin Moorestown, New Jersey
15 March: Naval Weapons Station Earle, New Jersey

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Collection Contents

Series 1: Commander Navy Region Northeast Historical Materials
This series contains information on the response to the attacks mounted by various members of Navy Region Northeast, including Earle Naval Weapons Station, New London Public Works, Norfolk Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, and Providence Reserve Center. Also in this series are public remarks by Master Chief Powden and Captain R.W. Ruple in the months following the attack.

Series 2: Fleet Support New York Historical Materials
This series holds a variety of reports, including a patrol summary from USCGC Campbell and after action reports from USNS COMFORT and Combat Camera Atlantic. Other items in the series document personnel and taskings in the search and recovery, relief, and security efforts.

Series 3: New Jersey Naval Militia Historical Materials
This series has documents describing the history and organization of the Militia and their activities in New York in the aftermath of the attack.

Series 4: Office of Information East Historical Materials
This series has press materials and compilations of media coverage following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.

Series 5: Personal Accounts
This series consists of first-hand narratives by personnel in New York at the time of the attacks and those who participated in search and relief efforts. This series does not contain the oral histories (see Series 8).

Series 6: Provisional Joint Task Force Historical Materials
This series contains a log of the Task Force’s activities, a copy of Operation Order 001-01, and personnel check-in forms.

Series 7: Subject Files
This series contains a variety of items. Among the documents in this series are a map of operations and security checkpoints in the World Trade Center area, a copy of the Naval War College Review that included a special section on the attacks, news clippings, and photographs.

Series 8: Audiovisual and Digital Media
This series contains VHS tapes with media coverage of the attacks, a tape containing media coverage of USNS COMFORT, and a recording of the World Trade Center flag being raised on USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT. The contents of the VHS tapes are not available digitally. This series also has CDs, which hold copies of the oral history interviews that CDR Schneider conducted and numerous photographs of the World Trade Center site, relief activities, and personnel. All of the materials on the CDs are available digitally. There is an overview of the oral histories at the end of the container list in this finding aid.

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Oral Histories

For each of these oral histories, the Navy Archives has digital audio and abstract files available.  Please contact the Navy Archives for more information.

Baetzel, Karen CAPT & Turocy, David CAPT
U.S. Navy Reserves; Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers
Date of Interview: 5 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Peter A. Schneider, USNR, Navy Combat Documentation Detachment 206
Subject Terms/Key Words: Communications; Disaster Field Office (DFO); Emergency Preparedness Liaison Office; Federal Emergency Management Agency; FEMA; Reserve Issues; Uniforms; USNS Comfort

Beard, Timothy D. III RADM
New Jersey Naval Militia; Commander, New Jersey Naval Militia Joint Command
Date of Interview: 14 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Floods; Funding; National Guard; New Jersey Naval Militia; Publicity; Security; Uniforms

Burns, Patrick
Civilian; Director, Fleet Support New York
Date of Interview: 12 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Air Cover; Amphibs; Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Fleet Week; Ground Zero; Navy Combat Camera; Office of Emergency Management; Politics; Rats; Reserves; USNS Comfort; USS Bataan; USS Bulkeley; USS George Washington; USS Leyte Gulf; USS Shreveport; Volunteers

Cosgrove, Dana
Civilian; Deputy to the Commander, Navy Region Northeast
Date of Interview: 5 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Cyberterrorism; Office of Emergency Management; USNS Comfort; USS Bulkeley; Vulnerability

Elliott, William COMO
U.S. Navy; Commander, Combat Logistics Squadron TWO
Date of Interview: 15 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Blue Collar Navy; Force Protection; Fuel; Logistics; Military Sealift Command (MSC); Outsourcing; Public Relations; Sustainment; USNS Comfort; USS Detroit

Ellis, Mitzi LCDR
U.S. Navy; Flag Secretary
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Emergency Control Center; Fleet Week; Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP)

Estrada, Steve LCDR
U.S. Navy Reserves; Commander Navy Region Northeast DET New York
Date of Interview: 7 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Reserves; USNS Comfort; USS Bulkeley

Frantz, Joe
U.S. Navy Reserves (Ret.); Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (Connecticut)
Date of Interview: 6 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); New York Naval Militia; Uniforms; USNS Comfort

Gentry, Jim LCDR
Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy; Facilities Engineer
Date of Interview: 7 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Security

Gillespie, James I. Jr. CAPT
U.S. Navy Reserves; Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (FEMA Region II)
Date of Interview: 14 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Amphibs; Communications; Defense Coordinating Officer (DCO); Federal Coordinating Officer; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers (NEPLO); Politics; Posse Comitatus Act; Presidential Visit; Public Affairs; USNS Comfort; USS George Washington

Greenleaf, George A. CAPT
U.S. Navy Reserves; DoD Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers Program Director
Date of Interview: 6 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM); Consequence Management; Crisis Coordination Center (CCC); DOD Resourced Database; Emergency Support Center (ESC); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Pentagon; Posse Comitatus; Public Relations; Reserves; Shadow Government; Suicide Bombers; USNS Comfort; Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Hardy, G. Mark CAPT
U.S. Navy Reserves; New York City; Provisional Joint Task Force
Date of Interview: 7 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Bloomberg Building; Ground Zero; New York Provisional Task Force

Hennessey, Tom CAPT
U.S. Navy Reserves; Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (Maine)
Date of Interview: 11 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Army; Disaster Field Office; Force Protection; LiDAR; New York Naval Militia; USNS Comfort; USS Howard

Ianiello, Errico LCDR & Driver, Albert Jr. LT
New Jersey Naval Militia; Chaplain, Flag Lieutenant
Date of Interview: 14 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Camp Respect; Chaplains; Disaster Medical Team (DMAT); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Ground Zero; Security

Indovino, Frank CWO4
U.S. Navy Reserves; Commander Navy Region Northeast DET New York
Date of Interview: 12 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Coast Guard; Ground Zero; Marines; Medics; New York Naval Militia; Secure Telephone Unit (STU); USNS Comfort; USS Bataan

Lederer, Ed LCDR
U.S. Navy Reserves; Eyewitness
Date of Interview: 7 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Witness; Midtown

Mook, Patricia L., Rauchon, John CTAC, & Oranje, Ronald YN2
Civilian; U.S. Navy; Casualty Assistance Calls and Funeral Honors Support Program
Date of Interview: 5 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Casualties Officers; Chaplains; Media; Pentagon; USS Cole

Murray, James EO3
U.S. Navy Reserves; New York Naval Militia
Date of Interview: 11 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Ground Zero; Marines; New York Naval Militia; Security; USNS Comfort

Neimeyer, Charles P. Dr.
Civilian; Dean of Academic Affairs, Naval War College
Date of Interview: 6 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Al-Qaeda; Clash of Civilizations; Homeland Defense; Intelligence; Islam; Saudi Arabia; Seapower; Strategic Overreach; Terrorism; Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Rovner, Jerry H. CAPT
New Jersey Naval Militia; Deputy Commander
Date of Interview: 14 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT); Homeland Defense; Ground Zero; Memorandum of Understanding (MOU); New Jersey Naval Militia

Schmidt, Craig CDR
U.S. Navy; Chief Staff Officer, Naval Weapons Station Earle
Date of Interview: 15 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Fast Action Support Team; Humanitarian Service Medal; Media; Military Sealift Command (MSC); USNS Comfort; USS Detroit; USS George Washington

Shane, Kelly
Civilian; FISC Norfolk Det. Philadelphia Onsite Contracting Officer
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Fleet Industrial Support Center (FISC); Husbanding Contract; USNS Comfort

Shaw, Claude B. CAPT
U.S. Navy; Commanding Officer, Naval Weapons Station Earle
Date of Interview: 15 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Casualty Assistance; Decontamination; Defense Threat Reduction Agency Firefighters; Fleet Week; Force Protection; Logistics; Military Sealift Command (MSC) New Jersey Naval Militia; Reserve Support; SOLID CURTAIN; USNS Comfort; USS Cole; USS Detroit

Stensland, John CAPT
Supply Corps, U.S. Navy Reserves; Northeast Region Business; Supply Office
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA); Fleet Week; Fuel; Husbanding Contract; P3s; Reserve Affairs; Supply System; USNS Comfort

Stubbs, Will CDR
U.S. Navy Reserves; Director, Navy Mobilization Processing Site
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Anti-Terrorism Force Protection; Fleet Week; Mobilization

Tighe, Robert MA1
U.S. Navy Reserves; New York City; Provisional Joint Task Force
Date of Interview: 6 February 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Bloomberg Building; Ground Zero; Joint Task Force Search and Rescue

Tracy, Michael C. RADM
U.S. Navy; Commander Navy Region Northeast and Submarine Group Two
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Al-Qaeda; Emergency Command Center (ECC); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Fleet Week; Force Structure; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); P3; Reserve Support; Submarines; Weapons of Mass Effect (WME)

Washburn, Mary E. CAPT
Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy Reserves; Chaplain
Date of Interview: 5 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Axis of Evil; Casualty Assistance Calls Office (CACO); Conscientious Objector; CREDO; Good and Evil; Islam

Waterman, David LCDR & Sandoz, Kathleen LT
U.S. Navy; Navy Office of Information, East
Date of Interview: 11 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Fleet Week; Public Affairs Guidance (PAG); USNS Comfort; USS Bulkeley; USS George Washington

Westlye, Don DCCM
U.S. Navy Reserves; Command Master Chief, Commander Navy Region Northeast DET New York
Date of Interview: 12 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Amphibs; Army; Combat Camera; Corpsmen; Ground Zero; Logistics; Politics; Reserves; USNS Comfort

Wilson, Sharon
Civilian; Radiological Emergency Coordinator
Date of Interview: 4 March 2002
Interviewer: CDR Schneider
Subject Terms/Key Words: Emergency Control Center; Naval Reactors

Photographs

Some of the photos found on the digital media in Series 8 of this collection have been made available online. 

Photo Gallery: Fleet Combat Camera Atlantic in New York City After 9/11

Photo Gallery: USNS COMFORT in New York City After 9/11

Published: Fri Jul 30 08:34:44 EDT 2021