By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

For most Americans, 9/11 was a nightmare experience they witnessed on the television.

But St. Cloud resident Angel Feliciano was with the New York Police Department nine years ago, and was at Ground Zero, where he worked 16 hour days as a volunteer on recovery detail.

Feliciano will share his experiences Saturday, on the ninth anniversary of the attack at a special edition of History Talks at the Osceola County Historical Society in Kissimmee.

Despite the long hours, working sometimes until he was completely exhausted, the retired policeman said he is no hero.

“Our troops fighting and those that died that day, they are the heroes,” Feliciano said.

Feliciano has one other personal hero, too.

A close friend of his, another fellow officer, was sent out to Ground Zero immediately following the attack. He was never heard from again.

The 51-year-old police veteran has always been reluctant to speak in public about those days in September 2001, but when he heard about the program being put on by the Historical Society, he decided to send the organization an e-mail.

“I didn't even send it right away, but just writing it was therapeutic,” he said.

Feliciano was working on an election day detail with his partner in his home precinct of the Bronx on Sept. 11.

“We were just driving around checking polling precincts when we heard a female voice asking for help on the radio,” he said.

What followed were hours – and then days – of chaos.

With no television to watch in a police vehicle, they relied on rumors and speculation.

“After the first plane hit, we thought maybe it was just a dreadful accident,” he said. “After the second plane, we knew.”

Almost everyone remembers where they were when they first heard the news of the terrorist act, but within just a short time of the attack, Feliciano was there.

“We could see the smoke on the horizon,” he said.

It wasn't too long before Feliciano volunteered to be part of the recovery detail.

He described the events that followed in vivid detail:

“When we entered the confines of Ground Zero, it was very surreal. It was destruction all over, ashes and dust everywhere, smoke in the air, broken windows and glass scattered throughout the streets. Nearby buildings burning, turned over vehicles. Fire trucks and police vans buried with debris and streets that once were covered by New York City pedestrians now were covered by emergency vehicles and personnel. I learned that day that we were doing 16- to 19-hour shifts on a daily basis until further notice,” he said.

It was like being on a surreal movie set, Feliciano said, only this was very real.

Some of the scariest memories involved a 40-story building that officials thought was in danger of collapsing. The building's situation was so precarious that any time a siren went off, they were warned to evacuate the area in a hurry because the building might come tumbling down.

“There was a panic every time there was a siren,” with everyone running to get away from the building, Feliciano said.

Getting a meal was almost an afterthought.

“There were carts with food wheeled around,” he said. “We were so exhausted. We would plop down on the sidewalk and eat out of a cart.”

Feliciano said through it all, as they worked through the debris, the one thing that never left his mind were the hundreds of people that had died.

“I was a cop for 13 years (before 9/11),” he said. “You get cynical about life.”

But Feliciano said it became a daily occurrence for emergency responders to be greeted by applause by people on the streets as they reported for another day of duty at Ground Zero – Feliciano included.

“I was never more proud to be a policeman,” he said.

Like hundreds of other workers at Ground Zero, Feliciano has had health issues. He has a thyroid disorder that will be with him for the rest of his life, something that probably can be pinpointed to the jet fuel at the crash site.

Workers got masks, “but we were still breathing in smoke and dust,” he said.

It wasn't until weeks and months later that all of the potential health risks were known.

“It's sad. There are guys passing away now, (because of the exposure). I'm lucky though, many workers fared far worse,” he said, adding that he hopes his presentation will help those workers in some way in their fight to get proper health care.

Feliciano said he has never been a public speaker and he is somewhat nervous about his presentation Saturday, but he wants to share his experience with others.

The former NYPD officer and his family moved to St. Cloud in the years following Sept. 11. After spending so much time on the force, he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two daughters.

“I am happy with my retirement pension,” he said.

The special edition of History Talks at the Osceola County Historical Society begins at 3 p.m. The presentation will include many of the photographs Feliciano took during the recovery effort and will be followed by a discussion afterward with audience members. Admission is $15 ($10 for historical society members). Proceeds go to toward the nonprofit organization’s continued work in historical preservation in Osceola County.

Seating is limited and advance registration is suggested by calling 407-396-8644.

Prior to the presentation, the society will host a flag retirement ceremony in observance of Sept. 11 at the Pioneer Village at 2 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 864 will conduct the ceremony, which is free to the public.

The Osceola County Historical Society and Pioneer Village is at 750 N. Bass Road (just off U.S. Highway 192).