Jacket
- Description
- Red athletic varsity jacket with white leather sleeves. The back of the jacket has the FealGood Foundation logo in white, and the front of the jacket carries numerous patches.
Patches on the right breast of the jacket include a red, white, and blue FealGood Foundation patch with a black silhouette of the Statue of Liberty, a tenth anniversary FealGood Foundation patch with "No Responder Left Behind" slogan, a United States Senate patch depicting the US coat of arms, a 9/11 10-year anniversary NYPD patch, and a black and gray Department of Corrections uniform patch.
Patches on the left breast of the jacket include two September 11, 2001, commemorative patches, an NYPD uniform patch, an FDNY uniform patch, an NYPD ESU uniform patch, and an NYCD Correction ESU uniform patch. - Historical Notes
- Demolition worker John Feal was injured days after arriving at Ground Zero, resulting in the amputation of part of a foot. Initially denied compensation he believed he was due, Feal became a grassroots advocate for responders, recovery workers, and survivors facing illness and mounting medical expenses. The FealGood Foundation, established in 2005 to raise funds on behalf of recovery workers, championed the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2015, and finally the "Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act" in 2019.
Feal wore this jacket as part of the group’s efforts to raise awareness of 9/11-related health issues. In gratitude, first responders gave him many of the patches on the front of the jacket.
Curator's Comment
The 9/11 attacks continue to affect the health and well-being of victims’ families and friends, survivors, rescue and recovery workers, cleaning crews, and those living and working in the vicinity of the three crash sites. Some injuries were immediately obvious, requiring hospitalization, surgeries, and lengthy recuperations. Other injuries were less apparent, including emotional scars and later illnesses.
Almost immediately, questions arose about the long-term impact of exposure to the dust clouds that formed when the towers collapsed on 9/11 and the dangers of working at the site during the recovery. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe. Subsequent tests showed that the omnipresent dust—made of pulverized building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was hazardous. Critics accused the government of a failure to protect citizens and inconsistent enforcement of respirator use at Ground Zero.
Survivors, residents, workers, and concerned citizens fought for legal remedies for injuries, treatment expenses, and loss of work. After years of debate, the U.S. Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010. The landmark bill provides financial compensation to individuals who suffered physical injury or death as a result of the 9/11 attacks and established a program that monitors and treats those with 9/11-related health conditions. Congress reauthorized the Zadroga Act in 2015, extending the compensation fund for five additional years and the health program through 2090. In 2019, after another lobbying effort, the compensation fund was extended through 2092. More than 95,000 people living in all 50 states have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.
Almost immediately, questions arose about the long-term impact of exposure to the dust clouds that formed when the towers collapsed on 9/11 and the dangers of working at the site during the recovery. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe. Subsequent tests showed that the omnipresent dust—made of pulverized building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was hazardous. Critics accused the government of a failure to protect citizens and inconsistent enforcement of respirator use at Ground Zero.
Survivors, residents, workers, and concerned citizens fought for legal remedies for injuries, treatment expenses, and loss of work. After years of debate, the U.S. Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in 2010. The landmark bill provides financial compensation to individuals who suffered physical injury or death as a result of the 9/11 attacks and established a program that monitors and treats those with 9/11-related health conditions. Congress reauthorized the Zadroga Act in 2015, extending the compensation fund for five additional years and the health program through 2090. In 2019, after another lobbying effort, the compensation fund was extended through 2092. More than 95,000 people living in all 50 states have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.
- Accession Number: C.2016.74.1
- Dimensions: 29.5 in X 64.75 in X 3 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 74.93 cm X 164.465 cm X 7.62 cm
- Source: John Feal
- Credit Line: Gift of John Feal
Health EffectsNever Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. Rescue and RecoverySeptember 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF)
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