John Paluska had just arrived in New York City to start his freshman year of college in September, 2001. Soon after watching the World Trade Centers collapse, Paluska volunteered to search for survivors, clear debris and recover human remains. Paluska would go on to serve ten years in the U.S Army as a Green Beret, earning a Purple Heart. He is also a co-founder of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum Visionary Network.