Photo features Officer David W. Lim and Urban Studies Graduate Student David T. Boyd (3/9/01)
By David T. Boyd
It’s not often that a series of unrelated occurrences come full circle, especially in connection to the tragic events of September 11th, but a few short weeks ago I made one of the most amazing discoveries of my life. In order for me to properly share this discovery, I’ll need to provide some backstory about my very first visit to New York City.
On March 9, 2001, I came to visit a friend who lived in Brooklyn and spent most of my vacation seeing the touristy areas of the Big Apple. On Wednesday, March 14th, I finally made it to the World Trade Center with hopes of going up to ‘Windows on the World’ and having lunch. Because it had been raining for much of my trip, a heavy fog covered the towers somewhere between the 40th and 50th floors, making it impossible for anyone to see the top while standing on the concourse.
As I debated whether I should make my way upstairs, a police officer with his K-9 partner approached me and struck up a conversation. We only spoke for a few moments, but it was enough to leave three lasting impressions: this man loved his job, loved his partner (a Yellow Labrador) and clearly loved being a New Yorker. He advised me to come back another day because my chances were minimal in seeing anything from the observation deck and gave me a few tips on what else I should see while in town. I asked the officer if he wouldn’t mind taking a picture with me, which he politely accepted. Afterwards we shook hands and parted company, and that was the last time I ever saw the twin towers up close.
Six months after my visit, the 9/11 attacks occurred. At the time I was living in the DC metro area and my job was a few short miles away from the Pentagon, so I remember what happened that day quite well. A few months later, I finally got around to developing the photos from my New York trip, including the ones of the now-destroyed World Trade Center. For 14 years I’ve held on to those photos, not knowing whether the officer or his K-9 partner had survived the attacks. Since we never told each other our names, I never had any way of looking up his status. On July 31, 2014 (as a Brooklyn resident of twelve years) I posted my photos on Facebook to see if any of my friends might know the identity of the officer. No luck.
One year later (July 31, 2015), Facebook sent me a message reminding me of that post. I decided to look again and typed a few words into Google. Minutes later, I came across a Daily News article about a 34-year veteran and lieutenant of the Port Authority Police Department who had retired in July of 2014. The article also mentioned that the officer was a 9/11 survivor — one of only 16 people to make it out of the North Tower after it fell to the ground. The Daily News photo of the lieutenant, whose name is David W. Lim, revealed the same man I met on March 14, 2001. He was alive and well!
After numerous phone calls and sharing my story, I was asked by the Port Authority to write a letter directly to David and include our picture. A week later, he wrote back and we are making plans to reunite very soon. I’ve even taken the liberty of custom framing my original photos and will offer them to his family as a gift. Unfortunately, Sirius (his K-9 Partner) died in the South Tower that day, but his legacy is remembered within the PAPD and now has a place in the 9/11 Memorial.
At times, we fail to understand the importance of a kind word or meaningful gesture, but first impressions can last forever. Because David Lim had decided to speak to a complete stranger, he remained at the front of my mind for years while I was busy hoping for his survival. Regardless of what you want to attribute to this heart-warming experience, two men named David (who were unaware they shared the same first name at the time) have come full circle and will soon celebrate their unlikely connection, giving thanks for living life anew through caring, humble and appreciative hearts.
David T. Boyd is a Master of Arts candidate in Urban Studies at the Murphy Institute. He is a published writer, having earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from CCNY, and works for the CUNY Central Office in undergraduate admissions.
