ASSOCIATED PRESS
James Maroon, right, cleans the bottom of the south pool of the 9/11 Memorial with a vacuum, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021 in New York. On Sept. 11, 2001 he was going to work at the New York Mercantile Exchange, just west of the twin towers. "I was getting ready to cross the Westside Highway when the first plane hit and people were running up behind me," he said. "I thought a truck or something hit the walkway. I got out, looked up and the first plane was in the building. I thought it was just a small commuter plane because you didn't see a plane, just a hole. I ended going into work and then the second plane hit. I couldn't figure out where to go. Pretty much everything was closed off. I hooked up with a guy I worked with and we started walking up the Westside Highway and I looked back and the tower collapsed. Unbelievable."