The son of the NYPD who died on 9/11 looks back 21 years after the terrorist attacks.
John Dallara was just seven years old when his father’s namesake died on September 11, 2001.
At the age of 47, the 18-year NYPD veteran was killed trying to save people from the collapsing Twin Towers as part of Emergency Services Unit Truck 2, one of the first to arrive on the scene.
“Of course he loved his family, but he also loved his job,” says Dallara. “It shows that he really loved helping people. He was there for people when they needed him.”
His father, John Dallara, was in the Bronx all his life. He attended Christopher’s Columbus High School, graduated from his Lehman College, and married at St. Lucy’s Church.
Elder Dallara was also a police officer with the 46th Precinct and the Bronx Task Force. He now has a street named after him.
His son works to honor his legacy.
“I know he’s funny, caring, always has a pretty good joke, kind, giving, and loving,” says D’Allara.
Although he admits he will always miss his father, he chose to focus on the bright side of the tragedy: the outpouring of love and support he and his family received after 9/11.
“Time doesn’t heal all wounds. You have to put it in some kind of positive light or it will just make you feel depressed,” he says.
A member of the Marine Sanctuary, Dallara is empowered by working with Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit founded for orphaned children after 9/11.
“When our organization was founded, they wanted to connect with other people who had experienced similar losses and similar pain. There is,” says Dallara.