Nearly 20 years after 9/11, newly released video from Kevin Westley offers a haunting view of the second plane striking the South Tower, filmed from a boat near Manhattan. The clip, once mistakenly kept private, captures the stunned reactions of bystanders and adds a deeply human perspective to a tragedy many thought fully documented.
Alongside the footage, Westley shared his own experiences—from witnessing 9/11 to serving in the Iraq War, where he endured nightly mortar attacks and escorted fallen soldiers. “A piece of our soul is lost on the battlefield,” he wrote.
The story also honors firefighter Mike Kehoe, immortalized in a photo climbing the North Tower as others fled. Kehoe survived, but 343 fellow firefighters did not. Despite ongoing health risks, he continues to serve simply because, as he says, “I just love it.”
