Former World Trade Center employee visits schools educating students on 9/11

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A man who worked at the World Trade Center now lives in Wilmington. 

Doug Edwards said it’s his mission to educate and remind students in the Cape Fear why we should “never forget.”   

“I’m just trying to make sure we never forget. Or educate for the first time, if that’s the appropriate thing,” Edwards said. 

In 2001, Doug Edwards worked for banking software company, ‘Temenos’, which had offices in the World Trade Center.  

Edwards said luckily, he was in Miami for business the week of September 11. Not knowing while he was gone, his office and so many others would be reduced to rubble.  

After many delayed flights, Edwards returned to New York City on a plane with cadaver dogs being sent to the World Trade Center site to search for missing persons.  

“There was a lot of emotion going on. I’d never cried that much in my life. Just little things, some little thing — I’m a pretty stable guy, I think – but every now and then, something happens and I start welling up,” Edwards said. 

Edwards now visits schools in the Cape Fear, educating children who may not fully understand the emotional toll and legacy of that day.   

He said he will never forget and will never stop showing others why they shouldn’t forget the thousands of lives lost, either.   

“It’s a combination of ensuring that we never forget. And it’s my little way of saying ‘thanks that I’m still here’ and giving back to the community,” Edwards said. 

Edwards said there is no one reason he still visits schools, giving his PowerPoint presentation and passing around pictures from New York City, but rather many reasons. 

Edwards remembers his two friends who didn’t survive the attack. He said he often does these presentations with tear filled eyes.   

“For myself a lot of it was tear jerking. But for a lot of other people, it’s going to be quite educational —  maybe a combination of both, who knows,” Edwards said. 

Edwards said he will continue educating students on this piece of history as long as he lives to tell it.