| OFFICER ALFONSE J. NIEDERMEYER III New York/New Jersey Port Authority | |
 | You would never have mistaken Alfonse Niedermeyer for anything but a New Yorker. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and with a booming New York accent, he made an imposing law enforcement officer. He also had the record to match his physical presence, having won numerous citations during his 16-year career. That record included rescuing passengers from USAir Flight 405 after it had skidded off a runway at LaGuardia Airport. |
| A fellow officer who had worked with Alfonse from the start called him "a born rescuer." That was his true calling. And that is exactly what he was doing on September 11th at the World Trade Center where, coincidentally, his father had once served as Operations Supervisor. The 40-year-old hero was survived by his wife and their 2-1/2-year-old son. | |