Ottumwa native John Paluska's respirator from volunteering at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001, and combat shrapnel from serving as an Army Green Beret are now part of a 25th anniversary exhibit at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
On this episode, we revisit September 11th and the events that followed for Paluska. He recounts the day he watched from his college dormitory roof in New York City as the second tower collapsed, his days of volunteering at Ground Zero, his military career it inspired, and the continued years-long effort to bring his Afghan Special Forces counterpart to safety.
Then, University of Iowa historian Colin Gordon joins us to look at how the events of 9/11 reshaped domestic spending and priorities over the last 25 years.
Guests:
- John Paluska, retired U.S. Army Green Beret, co-founder, 9/11 Memorial & Museum Visionary Network
- Colin Gordon, professor of history, University of Iowa
