Utah man recalls 9/11 experience in new book, reflects on life-changing days at ground zero

SALT LAKE CITY — One Utah man carries a perspective on September 11 unlike most Americans.

Twenty-five years later, Shaun Parry still keeps a storage box filled with reminders of the day that changed his life and the course of history.

"This is my 9/11 storage box," Parry said. "I have newspapers from that time."

In September 2001, Parry was living in New York City, pursuing his dream as a Broadway performer. He had landed roles in national tours and musicals and was building a career on stage.

"This was my Broadway debut," he said while looking through photos and memorabilia from his performing days.

The morning of September 11 was supposed to be an important one for his career.

"That week I was supposed to audition. It was a final callback for 'Saturday Night Fever,'" Parry recalled. "And the day after that I was supposed to go to jury duty."

Instead, the auditions never happened.

As news spread that terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center, Parry watched the city he loved come under assault. Like millions of Americans, he struggled to comprehend the scope of the tragedy. Unlike most, he found himself heading toward Ground Zero.

"It was massive and enormous, and we're headed towards it, not away from it," he said.

By the end of the day, Parry had become part of the rescue and recovery effort, stepping into a role he never could have anticipated.

"I was asked to help set up the first temporary morgue," he said.

The experience was overwhelming.

"The rest of the night, all night long, we received body parts," Parry said. "I was out of my league."

The realities of the work were devastating.

"Just a few hours ago, this person was walking. This person said goodbye to their spouse this morning, and now this is what they look like. How is this possible?" he said.

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Yet amid the tragedy, Parry said he felt a profound sense of purpose.

At the time, he did not know what that work would ultimately become.

Looking back, Parry believes his training as a performer prepared him for the intense emotional and physical challenges of ground zero.

"There was such a powerful parallel to my life as a performer, the improvisation that I had to use, the intense physical exertion in the classes and the rehearsals," he said. "There were so many instances that it was like, 'I was prepared for this in ways that I never could have imagined.'"

The memories stayed with him long after he left New York.

"There were people down there. I heard them, and I was never able to find them," Parry said. "I carried that for years."

Now, a quarter-century later, those memories are the foundation of his new book, which shares his deeply personal account of the days following the attacks.

"This isn't a history lesson at all," he said. "This is a very, very personal account of someone who just saw a need."

Parry said writing the book allowed him to revisit painful moments while preserving experiences he fears younger generations may never fully understand.

But he hopes people remember more than the devastation.

"A lot of remembrance of 9/11 is sad," he said. "I want to make sure that we remember that, yes, but also recognize the joy, the love (and) the camaraderie."

What stands out most to him is the way Americans unified after tragedy.

"We truly were one. We were united," Parry said. "Everyone was their brother's keeper. It was ridiculous. I've never seen anything like it. I don't know if I ever will (again)."

He vividly remembers strangers checking on one another throughout New York City.

Today, Parry said those lessons of compassion may be more important than ever.

"We are on the verge of a transformation, and we get to choose which way we go," he said. "Whether we destroy each other or if we actually love each other."

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