A Single Photograph Gives Family Closure And Peace Many Years After 9/11

”I desire everybody might obtain what I got.”

Ayoub

• Published in Interesting
• July 5, 2022

Judson Box never knew what exactly happened to his son Gary on September 11, 2001. However, years later, an unforeseen discovery ended up giving him a short glimpse of his son's very last hours.

Gary was 35 years old at the time and had been working in the fire department in Brooklyn as a firefighter for five years. On the actual day of 9/11, Judson did not get any news of his son and after the terrorist attack, he was never recovered.

Christine, Gary’s sibling, was visiting the Homage Facility on September 11, 2009, when an employee wondered if she was looking for a particular person. She brought up her brother Gary so the worker showed her a photograph showing a firefighter at the Brooklyn Battery Passage with a caption that included the name, Gary.

The firefighter in the photo ended up being Brian Bilcher and not Gary. He was another participant on Gary’s fire crew.

This discovery motivated Gary’s dad to investigate matters further and dig a little bit deeper. He was hoping to find a similar picture that could lead to discovering what happened to his son. Judson went through the National 9/11 Gallery's archives and also checked the memorial’s website, which allows people to submit their personal pictures from 9/11 directly on the platform.

One evening, Box spent more than 5 hours looking through photos but never found anything helpful.

So he decided to call it a night as he felt mentally and physically exhausted at the same time.

The next morning, his other half, Helen asked him to come to the living room as he was eating breakfast.

Helen then revealed a photo of a firefighter running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel while vehicles were blocking traffic.

Box immediately recognized that firefighter as his son.

”I ran out control, mentally,” Box said. “Saying thanks to God, being so delighted that I had something to see.”

After this incredible discovery, Box was eager for more answers and got in contact with the National 9/11 Gallery and Memorial to somehow find the photographer who took the photo.

A few months later, the museum shared the photographer's name and email with him. The photographer's name is Erik Troelson, a Danish businessman who was stuck in the passage on his way to a meeting and decided to randomly take that picture.

At the time, Troelson was completely oblivious to what was happening outside the tunnel.

The National 9/11 Gallery scheduled a surprise meeting between the two men at the yearly fundraising event.

The moment they shared on stage was quite emotional, and they even had time to talk in private and in detail.

” I believe I stated concerning 300 times thank you and God honor you, that’s all I can claim,” Box said. “I assume I told him I like you, as well as I do not inform any person that.”

” I desire everybody might obtain what I got.”

A single photograph managed to bring closure and peace to a whole family who always wondered what happened to their son on that day. It's one last glimpse of the person you love and even though you know it was one of their last moments, at least you go to see it.

Ayoub