September 27, 2021

BHS Alumni Shares His 9/11 Survivor Story

BHS Alumni Shares His 9/11 Survivor Story

Mark Duffy is a 1973 Berkley High School graduate. After high school he attended Michigan State University and then completed a masters program at George Washington University. 35 years ago he moved to New York City, a place he now fondly calls home, although Mr. Duffy never forgets his roots here in Berkley that began at 2360 Bacon Ave. 

Earlier this school year, Mr. Duffy reached out to see if sharing his 9/11 survivor story would be of interest to the Berkley Schools community. On September 15, the Communications Office interviewed Mark to learn about his story and what it was like to witness the tragedies at the twin towers first hand, how he has remembered those who were lost, what it was like living and working in New York after 9/11 and what wisdom he has for current students.

A 9/11 Survivor’s Story

Mark Duffy worked on the 64th floor of the World Trade Center North Tower. He was a senior human resources executive for the Port Authority. On the morning of 9/11/2001, Mr. Duffy got ready for work and voted for the mayoral election. After voting, he took the subway which was supposed to take him directly to the World Trade Center. The first train was packed, so he let it go. The second train ran for a bit and then stopped abruptly. Unaware of what was happening on the outside, Mr. Duffy got out of the subway and planned to walk the last four blocks to work. When he emerged from the subway station, he could see his building, the North Tower, on fire with a large hole in it. He knew right away it was a terrorist attack.

Mark’s instincts kicked in and he ran the four blocks to the World Trade Center Plaza, thinking as a member of the emergency response team for the Port Authority, he would help. Police were blocking his way to get closer to the North Tower. Up for a challenge, Mr. Duffy decided he would go around the post office that was a block away from the towers and get into his building that way. When he was 10 steps from turning the corner, he heard an incredibly close and deafening loudness of a jet airplane. Moments later, he heard the second plane hit the second tower. Debris began to fall from the sky and Mr. Duffy sheltered himself against the post office. He saw falling paper, glass and metal in the air and all over the ground. It was at this moment he knew he had to get away. 

Mr. Duffy ran for blocks before slowing down. When he turned and looked back, he could see people jumping out of the buildings who were above the impact floors. Then he continued on his mission to be of service and made his way to the Holland Tunnel. He was determined to make it to the Emergency Operations Center for the Port Authority in New Jersey. When he arrived the tunnel was blocked by semi-trucks - no one was leaving or entering New York City. Mr. Duffy ran into a friend at the tunnel who was covered in ash, and together they watched the second tower collapse. At this point, the two friends got a soda and headed back to their own apartments.

Luckily, everyone on his floor - 64th floor of the North Tower - got out by walking down the stairs. They had about 100 minutes to evacuate the building. 84 Port Authority employees in both buildings, however, were killed, and many died helping others to get out of the buildings.

The days that followed were chaotic and improvisational. Mr. Duffy describes what it was like to work for the Port Authority, “We had to keep the airports, bridges and tunnels running. All our records were gone. People had been hired and were planning on coming to the World Trade Center for orientation in the next days. We worked ten hours a day, six days a week.” In addition, his department helped the search and rescue efforts by collecting DNA samples of Port Authority employees who were missing.

In addition to needing office space and the work that followed, Mr. Duffy shared that the Executive Director and Chief of Police for Port Authority were killed in the terrorist attack - they were in a meeting on a floor above where the planes hit. “Eventually, we relocated to the Port Authority Tech Center to a space for all departments to come together,” he shared. “Then we moved to various buildings throughout NYC. It took about 11 years for the Port Authority offices to move back into the WTC.”

The first seven years after the attack, Mr. Duffy said, were the most trauma-filled. “As September approached,” he shared, “people would be angry with each other. There was a lot of disruptive behavior and people being sad. And, a lot of therapy took place once people realized they experienced trauma and needed help.” The Port Authority offered post-traumatic stress debriefing with a psychologist for employees, too.

This was the second terrorist attack at the World Trade Center, and Mr. Duffy lived through the first one as well. In February 1993, the World Trade Center was bombed. Mr. Duffy shared he was on the 61st floor when the bomb exploded and he was trapped in the building on the 49th floor, until the smoke cleared and the firemen walked up the stairs to the employees. “I and some of our staff assisted the first responders in evacuating people,” he shared. 

How do you honor those who were lost?

“A way to honor those who were lost is to really embrace your life,” Mr. Duffy said. “Enjoy your life. Celebrate your life. You got to live while others did not.”

At first, Mr. Duffy volunteered with the 9/11 Tribute Center. Before the memorial and museum were under construction, survivors or first responders would guide people through the WTC site. They would share their stories, a person to person history, of those who were there. He also participated in many days of service on 9/11 with other WTC employees to give back to the area. 

For the 20th anniversary, Mr. Duffy, along with other Port Authority employees, placed roses at every Port Authority employee's name at the 9/11 memorial.

What do you hope students remember about 9/11?

“Remember the people who died, yes, but make their life meaningful by honoring them by respecting each other regardless of who you are, what your differences are.”

If you had to share one piece of advice to students today, what would it be?

“Being driven by curiosity is a really important thing. Be curious. Have a critical mind. Don’t assume you can’t do something. Seek out opportunities and work to achieve things. Go into the unknown. There’s a lot of reward in the unknown. Confront your fear. Step out and do it anyway. And if you’re feeling fearful of others, then meet those who are different from you.”

Did any one person or activity inspire you throughout your time in Berkley to become who you are?

“I had a teacher bring reading to life. I didn’t think I would go to college until taking Peggy Metzer’s 11th grade class, an elective on Black Literature. She taught the books Soul on Ice and Algiers Motel Incident, and I remember thinking, ‘Reading is real! Reading can take you into the real world and expand your sense of what the world is.’ That changed my life.”

Watch Mr. Duffy’s personal video of his 9/11 experience on YouTube:

Watch him tell his story and give advice to students in the most recent interview: