Interview with Tim Almquist, History 150 Spring 2024, Conducted by Emma Almquist, March 17, 2024.

Overview to Interview:

On the morning of September 11, 2001, the United States experienced one of the most tragic attacks in history. Two commercial airplanes were hijacked by the extremist group, Al-Qaeda, and were intentionally crashed into the World Trade Center. This was an attack on the US Sovereignty, that is still an emotional topic to this day. It took nearly 3,000 lives, devasting countless amounts of families, friends, and the country forever. Following the attack, there was significant damage to Lower Manhattan, resulting in efforts for rescue and guidance for those affected by the attack.

Like many people, my father, Tim Almquist, experienced 9/11 firsthand and it changed his life forever. He discusses how the attack affected the security used at UPS, his family and friends, and his whole mentality on life. Throughout the interview, you can see that this story is never ending, and continues to live on in the lives of him and others forever.

Biography:

The person I am interviewing is my father, Tim Almquist. He worked in New York City
before, during, and after 9/11. He started to work at UPS at the age of 20 after moving to Buffalo from Jamestown NY in 1985. He then worked for UPS in Buffalo from 1986 to 1991. In 1991, He moved to NYC as a management trainee and was there for 9/11. He worked at UPS for 35 years before retiring and taking a job at Loomis (US leading provider of cash handling services and products for financial retail, and other industries) in August 2020 and remains there today (April 2024).

Transcription:

EA: Hi, this is Emma Almquist interviewing my dad, Tim Almquist. Tell me a little bit about yourself.

TA: Well, I’m a corporate risk manager for Loomis armored. I’ve been there for about four years now. Prior to that, I worked for UPS for 35 years, started there when I was 20 years old and kind of worked my way up in the organization. I spent most of my time as security manager loss prevention investigator, I had a criminal justice degree from Jamestown Community College where I grew up in Western New York. I finished my bachelor’s degree in organizational management at Manhattan College, while I was working for UPS in the city.

EA: Okay, how did you start working at UPS?

TA: Actually, it was pretty short story, my roommate, my new roommate in college was working there. And during my first summer attending the University of Buffalo, he told me that they were looking for people and I was looking for a job and I went in for an interview, he put a good word for me, and they hired me.

EA: How old were you when you started working?

TA: I was 20 years old when I started working at UPS.

EA: Describe the workplace environment before the attack. What were the security features like?

TA: Well, I was in charge of Manhattan south, which was the UPS facility closest to the World Trade Center, we were only like 30 blocks away. The security of the building was a standard UPS facility, outer doors that lead to the street on both sides of the building. Standard square badge security in each post around the building, I believe there were six posts, there was cameras, and about 40 cameras located inside and around the facility. We had a locked alarm system for over the weekend.

EA: Describe the day before going into work that day. Was it just another normal day? Or did you have like a weird feeling at all?

TA: No, it was the standard work day, didn’t think anything about it. Like everybody else was taken by surprise. By the attacks obviously was a very long three days before I actually got home. But no weird feelings or inclination of anything.

EA: Describe your emotions that day of the attack. Did you help others? What exactly did you do?

TA: The day of the attack, I was actually in one of the centers of four centers in the building of geographical areas in Manhattan. And it just by chance, the center I was in was called World Trade Center because they service the World Trade Center. And the business manager was my old manager when I was actually a UPS driver in Manhattan. And he said to me, people came running in from outside the overhead bay doors were open, we were close to dispatch and someone said that the plane hit the tower. And I just immediately thought well had to be like a little puddle jumper that hit the antenna on top of the building. And when I walked outside, I could see the, I literally looked up the street, I could see the entire World Trade Center and I could see the the out outstretched wings of the plane as it went through the buildings. You can see the imprint on the side of the building as it just happened. The first plane and smoke was pouring out and I immediately knew that was on purpose. Ran to my office call my bosses they already knew they’re on their way down for support, grabbed my video camera and a fresh battery through taping and started videotaping. And then the rest of the day I was running around trying to get drivers back after somebody dispatched and passed the camera around to different people. So they kept recording all day long.

EA: What were the next few days like?

TA: I was stuck there for three days, and I slept in my jeep on the roof and there wasn’t much sleep because there were actually fighter jets flying overhead throughout the night. Other than myself, four guards stayed on and one armed vendor that worked for me stayed. The building was completely locked down. And it was weeks before they started up the operation again.

EA: What was your feelings like when you got home for the first time after being stuck?

TA: I remember being so tired because I really didn’t sleep. And when I got home my wife made me something to eat. I was very hungry. I was eating out of the vending machine, that’s all there was. I ate, I remember eating, watching TV for a minute, being really tired going to sleep, waking up, I don’t know nine hours later, and then went downstairs and had something else to eat and hung out with my wife for about an hour and saying to myself and her that I was I was still tired. So I went back upstairs, I’m gonna lay down again. I slept for like another seven hours. And then I woke up the next day, took a shower, called into work, shaved and then drove into the city.

EA: How was the work environment changed that ever go back to normal? Was there any like new security features added? 

TA: No. But it did eventually get back to normal but it was months, months upon months before things got somewhat normal. A lot of the area surrounding the World Trade Center, obviously we couldn’t service us for months. So all those packages coming in, had to be shipped back what we call RTS or return to shipper. We had people there from the Mahwah (New Jersey) computer facility that came in and assisted in the reloading of those all those packages. I would say it was a few weeks before they kind of got a routine down. And then as the area around the world trade center got cleaned up and reduced the more stores open, then we started getting back in those areas and making deliveries but I think it was a good six to eight months before we were able to service as close to normal as prior to the attack.

EA: Could you tell there was like a shift in vibe and work like when you went back? 

TA: Oh, yeah, it changed everybody’s perspective. I think people you know, there was a lot of stories about heroism that day and tragedy. And it changed the way that not people not only viewed work, but how they viewed the world. I mean, this was an attack on the United States Sovereignty and it changed everyone’s perspective politically. Family wise how people think people took special moments that they used to maybe just see as another thing that went on during the day. And they looked at it differently after 911.

EA: Describe the next few years at work, like what did you exactly do? 

TA: And well, I remained it meant I remained in Manhattan south as the security rep until February. And then I got promoted, I got promoted to security manager. So I actually left that facility and went back up to 43rd Street, where I did most of my security supervisor work was promoted. And I took over the midnight shift up there. But 911 was something that was just in the back of everyone’s mind that talked about and then obviously the increased security. Not as much at UPS, but like it’s your airport at the Port Authority, getting in and out of Manhattan, random searches, there was a lot more physical security than there ever was before because people were afraid. Want to be prepared for another attack potentially.

EA: How did you juggle then, like years later, being a father and having a difficult words work schedule? Is there anything that you wish you would have done differently?

TA: Yeah, I wish I would have finished my bachelor’s degree before I got married. That was a mistake. Because when Emma [Tim’s oldest daughter], when Lynn [Tim’s wife] was pregnant with Emma, I knew that I had to go back and get the four year degree done. And it was really difficult because I was running the Twilight’s (late night shifts at work, typically around 10pm-6am), the Twilight security Source section at UPS and my wife was pregnant. And I went back to school at night to Manhattan College. So between working 10 to 12 hours a day and doing all the work. I only had to get like, I think it was like 25 or 30 credits, but in order to get the full degree, I had to take the full 60 credits. So it was spread out over three years that was very, very difficult juggling all that.

EA: How have your work and 911 experience affected the way that you are today?

TA: Well, one of my good buddies, John, that I’m still friends with I mean, I talked to him pretty much almost every day, if not every other day. He was a detective in the Bronx. And we actually worked some cases together some UPS cases and that’s why I came friends with him and he was very sick and came very close to dying. He developed leukemia from being down and digging through the rubble and trying to help people and recover bodies basically. So I mean, just being around him, kind of kept me humble and kept it closer to me to this day. I mean, I don’t think about it. Obviously 20 plus years later, I don’t think about it as much as I used to but every once in a while something will pop up and I think it’s good. I think it’s good for people to remember. You don’t ever want to forget something like that was very surreal moment in my life and it changes It changed the way that I thought about just life and family and, work.

EA: I’m kind of going off of that, like, what have you learned about this experience?

TA: What I learned is that, you know, the United States of America thought that they were invincible, and they let that kind of let their guard down. And I think that our elected officials did a poor job of not anticipating this. I mean, I’m sure they had some sort of Intel, but an attack of that magnitude where these guys were headed infantry infiltrated the United States, and we’re going to flight schools and then it kind of turned to turn this system around against us. It was something that I’m sure nobody ever envisioned that happening. But for it to happen, it just it changed everything.

EA: What would you like others to take away from your story?

TA: I think it’s a story of resilience and, you know, not quitting because during those weeks after, obviously, it was very difficult. It was like a warzone. I had to get down there had to have a police escort to even get down to Manhattan south. So it’s really about just life in general. Anything that you start, you never quit. And I think being a competitive sports person growing up helped me with that. I think that helped me throughout my business career. Because I was so competitive. I always wanted to do well and do better to this day. You know, I’ve had people say to me that, you know, I’m always overachieving, it’s just kind of developed me to be that way. And I think that experience of 911 and my competitive nature kind of helped get me through, made me who I am today.

EA: Okay, thank you so much for your time.

Research:

After 9/11, the actions set in motion a major restructuring of the national security apparatus. This includes, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the consolidation of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, US Customs service, and the passage of the patriot act. In the interview, my father describes how he believes that the USA “thought that they were invincible, and they let that kind of let their guard down”. Throughout the interview, he describes how the security features were heightened and he even needed to be escorted into the city by police. Even though this was a horrific tragedy for the US, it was a wake up call. From the event, the US stepped up and strengthened these security services to help prevent an attack like this in the future.

León, Gabe Ponce de. “Protecting NYC 20 Years after 9/11.” City & State NY, City & State New York, 6 Sept. 2021, www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2021/09/protecting-nyc-20-years-after-911/185143/. 

During the interview, my father discusses how his friend was diagnosed with Leukemia after helping people to safety during the attack. Over twenty years later he is still sick from the attack, and it represents how one tragedy can change your life forever. In this article, the author discusses how “cancer and respiratory ailments plague up to two-thirds of firefighters and other emergency workers who toiled amidst the toxic ruins. For the several thousand victims, 9/11 has yet to end”. Even with two decades passing by, people are still physically fighting the event that changed America forever. It is also a reminder to appreciate what you do have, because you never know what could happen to you or anyone you love.

Cuozzo, Steve. “9/11 Showed Us the Resilience of New York City.” New York Post, New York Post, 11 Sept. 2021, nypost.com/2021/09/11/9-11-showed-us-the-resilience-of-new-york-city/.

At the end of the interview, my father talks about how he believes that the elevated officials at the time did a poor job at anticipating this event. In this article, the author talks about how 9/11 triggered an emotional shock wave that affected individuals and their political views. People’s responses to issues became collective, leading to shifting converse and new policies. People demanded for responses on how this could happen, and questioned if their political decisions in the past were the best decision. 9/11 not only affected people emotionally, but it also made them ponder on the decisions they have made in the past.

Peer Reviewed

Hall, T. H., & Ross, A. A. G. (2015). Affective Politics after 9/11. International Organization, 69(4), 847–879. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818315000144.

 

Photo:

Leonid Andronov – stock.adobe.com

Transcription:

During the transcription process, I used AI to upload the audio from my phone. I used the app “voice memos” on my phone to record the interview and saved it to my laptop. When transcribing the interview, I listened back and replaced words that were incorrect. I made it clear who was speaking and added explanations of vocabulary my father used. When trying to find sources to help strengthen my interview, I looked to the common themes my father spoke about which were the security after 9/11, the sicknesses people have attained, and how 9/11 affected people’s political views. This further research provides the audience with explanation about what was said in the interview and allows the themes and purpose of the interview to be presented more clearly. In conclusion, the transcription process allows the audience to fully understand what the interview is about and allows them to create their own opinion on it.