RED OAK, Iowa —

Former FDNY firefighter Michael Connolly is committed to passing on the lessons he learned from his experiences at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001, to future generations.

"I want to keep this alive. I want to make sure everybody remembers this year in and year out, because we're not going to be here forever," Connolly said.

He said he always knew he wanted to be a firefighter.

"I always felt myself. It's just me. That everybody should serve in some capacity," he said.

RELATED COVERAGE:

He served for over 30 years as a firefighter, 19 of which were in New York City. However, his years of experience couldn't have prepared him for the events of September 11, 2001.

"They call it controlled chaos. And that's exactly what it was," Connolly said.

His unit, Squad 18, performe

See Full Page