East Meadow grad Martin Green was just one year into his career as an NYPD officer on the morning of September 11, 2001 when the trajectory of his career changed – like so many others that day.
He woke up to his phone ringing at 8:48am. It was his partner who told him a plane had just hit one of the World Trade Center towers. He turned on the tv to watch the news. At the time, many assumed it was an accident, but as Green noted, he considered that unlikely given it was such a clear day. At 9:03am, however, it became clear America was under attack when the south tower was struck by Flight 175.
He recalls everything changing in that moment as a Level 4 mobilization was called – that means everyone was called in whether off-duty or on vacation. A bus transported all the cops in the 109th precinct to Ground Zero. He recalls seeing all the signs on the parkway reading “First Responders Only”, indicating how dire the situation was. In fact, both towers had already came down by their arrival. Their entry point was the south street seaport. Fire trucks and police cars were crushed. Debris everywhere and chaos all over.
For the next two days, Green stayed there, as did all of the police officers in his precinct. After going home briefly, he returned and spent much of the next 2 years digging – lots of digging.
“We were trying to find any kind of piece of anything – licenses, or a hat to give to the families so they had some kind of closure. We had hope. That’s all we had. It was just a wild scene and it’s tough to put into words even now. It changed the trajectory of my life and my career.”
Green noted it was a hot September and he didn’t always wear a mask, thus breathing in toxic fumes.
He was recently diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a rare condition that was linked to his time at Ground Zero. It caused issues with his hip that required significant surgery.
“They told us it was safe to breathe. The governor of NJ, the local government all said it was good. We later found out they knew it was toxic.”
Green was forced to retire from the NYPD in 2020 due to his health complications. After a few years on the sidelines, he was inspired to begin coaching.
“The resilience that I saw on 9/11. The teamwork – it made me want to get into coaching. That’s why I’m where I’m at.”
In addition to being a strength coach, he also coaches the running backs at Molloy University and is the Director of Player Development for the Dodger Nation travel organization. His son, MJ, is a senior at Holy Trinity HS, and he hopes to continue playing at the next level.
“He wants to follow in my footsteps and either attend Coast Guard, Merchant Marine or Maritime.”
Green’s courage, like all the first responders, was on display during that devastating day. While the human instinct is to run away from danger, they did the opposite and were looking to help in the face of great danger. Nobody knew if it was the last of the attacks.
“The communication was lacking so we really were on eggshells. We didn’t have solid intel. It was the worst feeling ever. The anxiety of it all was the most frustrating part. We remained on high alert and still are today.”