Raising The Flag At Ground Zero
In this iconic photo from history, three New York City firefighters, George Johnson, Dan McWilliams, and Billy Eisengrein, can be seen raising the American Flag at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center following the September 11th, 2001 attacks.
The flag came from the Star of America, a yacht that had been docked in the Hudson River. The yacht owner, Shirley Dreifus, used a saw to cut the yardarm off and then take the flag to the firefighters. They found a pole about 20 feet off the ground and proceeded to raise the flag.
After the flag was removed from Ground Zero, both the governor of New York, George Pataki, and the mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giulliani signed the flag and then it was continued to be flown at New York City Hall.
In a strange ending to the flag’s story, when the original owner of the flag, Dreifus, prepared to officially donate the flag, it was found that the flag on hand was not the original flag from the Star of America and the original flag from the photo is still missing.
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.