Eyewitness: Interviews with 9/11 responders

These interviews with 9/11 responders began in the unlikeliest of places: the examining room of a Long Island medical doctor named Dr. Benjamin Luft.

Back in September 2011, Scott Pelley told the remarkable story of Dr. Luft and how he took it upon himself to document the stories of people from all walks of life who rushed to ground zero to help. 

Some 70,000 people worked at the World Trade Center site. Shortly after 9/11, Dr. Luft helped start a clinic at Stony Brook University Medical Center to treat the chronic illnesses suffered by many of the responders. He treats and monitors about 7,000 patients.

Cops, firefighters, massage therapists, and accountants all brought their ailments to Dr. Luft, but they also brought their stories--highly personal and emotional accounts of what they experienced in the aftermath of the attacks and during the weeks of recovery work at the World Trade Center site.

As Pelley reported, Dr. Luft listened to their stories in his examining room for years and realized that his patients were the authors of one of the most dramatic chapters of American history. He began recording documentary-style interviews with his patients, and over 175 people have told him their story.

Here at "60 Minutes Overtime" we were so moved by the interviews in Scott's story that we decided to give viewers the opportunity to see more of them. We've included stories of courage, fear, and heartbreak from 15 of the 9/11 responders.

The 60 Minutes story "Remembering 9/11" was reported by Scott Pelley, produced by Rebecca Peterson, and edited by Andy Soto.

Editor's Note: This segment was originally published Sept. 11, 2011.