As the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches, Americans across the nation prepare to commemorate the tragic events that forever changed the course of history. For Tom Battillo, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official in Maryland, the memories of that fateful day remain vivid and haunting.
Battillo, now the assistant federal security director for mission support at BWI Marshall Airport, was working on Wall Street when the attacks occurred. On the morning of September 11, 2001, he found himself at the base of the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex, a twist of fate that would ultimately save his life.
“The plane went right over my head and went into the north building,” Battillo recounts. He had been scheduled for a meeting at the top of that very tower, but a phone call from his son kept him outside – a coincidence that spared him from the devastation that followed.
The weight of survival bears heavily on Battillo. “Good friends of ours didn’t make it because they went upstairs,” he says, his voice tinged with the pain of loss. “We went to a lot of memorial services without closure. It takes a lot of time to get over what you would call survivor’s guilt.”
The aftermath of the attacks left an indelible mark on Battillo and countless others. “Days, weeks and months after that we were just trying to get ourselves back together,” he remembers. The sights, sounds, and smells of that day continue to haunt him. “When people were jumping — these are sounds that never leave your mind. You can still hear it,” Battillo shares. “You can still smell jet fuel burning.”
Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. The nation’s response to these attacks led to the creation of the TSA, an agency where Battillo now finds purpose and a measure of healing.
“There’s been a lot of healing just being able to work with people who every day come and support the mission,” Battillo explains. His role at the TSA holds deep meaning, especially around the anniversary of the attacks. It’s a way for him to contribute to the ongoing effort to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.
As a daily reminder of his experience and commitment, Battillo bears a tattoo on his arm depicting the World Trade Center towers in front of an American flag, accompanied by the words “Never Forget.” It’s a personal monument to the lives lost and a pledge to honor their memory through his work.
“Around this time of year, things are a little tough,” Battillo admits. “It just brings back everything that happened.” Yet, through his work with the TSA, he finds a way to channel his experiences into protecting others, turning a day of profound loss into a lifetime of dedicated service.
As the nation pauses to remember the events of September 11, 2001, stories like Battillo’s serve as powerful reminders of the human impact of that day and the resilience that has followed. His journey from survivor to guardian embodies the spirit of a nation that, while scarred, remains committed to the ideals of freedom and security.