LEE IELPI
Retired FDNY fireman Lee Ielpi cradles the helmet found near his fallen son, Jonathan, of Squad 288, on December 11, 2001. Only about 15 firefighter's helmets were recovered at Ground Zero out of the 343 firemen that died. Soft-spoken, kind and always the perfect gentleman, Lee entrusted me with honor of capturing this tender moment. I worked with Lee for many months down in the hole at Ground Zero. At the end of the Recovery, as I was shooting this portrait outside St. Paul's Chapel, Lee shared with me a sentence he wrote for his son's funeral service, which for me will always be one of the most touching things I have ever heard. His quote was, "I know my son is in better hands now, but I'd rather have him in mine." Lee later formed an organization called the September 11th Families Association (www.911WVFA.org). This group offers peer support and was quite active in media relations surrounding the future of Ground Zero's redevelopment. The group also campaigned to make sure that the footprints of the original Twin Towers are left untouched and preserved. In 2006, Lee & his colleagues proudly headed up the creation of the "Tribute Center" at Ground Zero, which offers walking tours of the WTC site and also serves as a museum with artifacts from Ground Zero that helps to educate visitors from all over the world about 9/11.