AWM Head of Gallery Development Bliss Jensen and Major David Bergman with pieces he collected during his time at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
If you’re old enough, you’ll never forget where you were when you first heard about the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Major David Bergman was on a military base in Canada for a year-long study tour.
Only a few weeks later, he and four other Australian Engineer Officers were in New York City, helping with the recovery effort at Ground Zero.
Twenty-five years later, Major Bergman still clearly remembers his time at the site of the biggest terrorist attack in history.
“It was a Tuesday, and it was the second day of a course that four other Australian Army Engineer Officers were undertaking in North America.
“We were in Canada at the time. It was early in the morning, and a member of the Canadian Defence Force ran in and told every Canadian to get up and head outside. He told the rest of us to finish our lesson and then look at the TV.
“About 40 minutes later, we looked at the footage and realised that the US had been attacked.
“As part of our long-term schooling in North America, we soon were headed to New York. When we arrived, the Australian Embassy approached the NYPD and told them we were trained military officers. Is there any way they can help out?”
After joining in the recovery effort, Major Bergman was seconded to the Port Authority Police Department, where he helped with the search for human remains and objects of value at Ground Zero.
He recalled how shocked he was when he arrived, saying the buildings had fallen in on themselves.
“When the buildings collapsed, they compacted, so each floor was 6 to 10 centimetres thick. There was heavy plant machinery that would peel back a layer of the building for us to keep working,” Major Bergman said.
“I remember we were working on the 72nd floor, and we were about 80 feet below the surface level.
“It was a patriotic time for America. Everyone had just experienced something traumatic and upsetting, but it brought them together. You could feel it on the street, and it flowed through to the people I worked with.”
For service with the NYPD and the Port Authority Police Department, Major Bergman was given artifacts from the site, which included a burnt bank note, marble flooring and a piece of glass from the windows.
In 2005, Major Bergman donated those pieces, along with his uniform and equipment from his time at Ground Zero, to the Australian War Memorial.
Now, some of those pieces are on display as part of the Afghanistan Gallery exhibition.
Major Bergman explained that while he was thankful for the camaraderie he shared with those from the NYPD and the Port Authority Police Department, he is not a nostalgic man, stating he would rather look forward than back.
He said having those pieces on display at the War Memorial to educate people about the start of the War on Terror is better than having them as a personal memento.
“I think it is important to have tangible pieces of history,” Major Bergman said.
“Seeing real things helps people relate to things. Having those three major objects, the banknote, the marble and the glass, they’re tangible. They may be small, but they contextualise what happened on that day.
“We’re still learning and feeling the fallout from 9/11. It was the start of the War on Terror. For me, donating those items to the War Memorial was the right thing to do.”
Major Bergman would go on to serve two deployments in Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper in 2008 and 2012, working as an engineer for the Army.
AWM Head of Gallery Development Bliss Jensen thanked Major Bergman for his donations to the Memorial. She said his addition helps create a full picture of the War in Afghanistan and its roots in 9/11.
“The impact of 9/11 has reverberated through time and continues to stay with us today,” she said.
“Twenty-five years ago, 9/11 happened, and only 5 years ago last month, the Taliban rolled back into Kabul. It’s still evolving and developing.
“It’s important to have pieces from each of these moments from the War in Afghanistan on display in some way through this gallery.
“In terms of 9/11, we were missing those personal experiences. We have the images from the media that are quite prevalent, and we have accounts, but those items from Major Bergman bring it all together and show Australians were there and supported the recovery.
“We are extremely thankful for his donations.”
The Afghanistan War Galleries and Major Bergman’s 9/11 pieces are now on display at the Australian War Memorial.
