PAPD WTC Memorial Bus, July 6, 2003
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At racetrack in "Until We Meet Again" shirts
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Donated bikes for Kenneth's foundation
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Donated bikes and a visit from Santa for Kenneth's foundation
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Donated bikes for Kenneth's foundation
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Flags flown during one of Kenneth's memorials
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Framed photo
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Picture of Kenneth pulling unconscious man out of fire
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Ice hockey uniform
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Kenneth's picture at the Washington DC Memorial
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Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Banner
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Laminated memorial photo
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Middletown NJ Memorial
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Middletown NJ Memorial
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Ocean County Herald Society Band
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PAPD Officer Paul Nunizatto and Janice Tietjen
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Tietjen weathered metal memorial
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Donated toys and games
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Father and Grandfather in Washington DC Memorial
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WTC cross brought to Pope John Paul in Rome
Article about Beach Ramp for the handicapped in memory of Kenneth Tietjen
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Article about Beach Ramp for the handicapped in memory of Kenneth Tietjen
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Newspaper clipping showing Hazlet NJ memorial
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death
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Article on Kenneth's foundation's targeting at-risk students
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Article on Kenneth's foundation's targeting at-risk students
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Newspaper clipping from Mount Mitchill
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NY Times Memorial clipping with Memorial photo
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Pope John Paul receives PAPD
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Port Authority memorial Document
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Port Authority memorial Document
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Clipping from The Catholic Advocate publication
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Middletown Township letter from Mayor
Letter to inform the family of a 9/11 memorial being created in California
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Memorial Donor Key
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Picture of the first card
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Picture of the first card
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Picture of the first card
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Letter for memorial in Miami Florida
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Memory Medallion letter
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Freedom card
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Freedom card
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Freedom card
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Thank you card to the foundation for donation
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Thank you card to the foundation for donation
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Thank you card to the foundation for donation
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Thinking of You card
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Thinking of You card
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Thinking of You card
Dedication sign for Sandy Hook Boardwalk funded by the Kenneth Tietjen Foundation
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In Loving Memory letter for Kenneth
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Police Officer Commemorative Journal
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Meritorious Police Duty Medal letter
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Write-up for Port Authority Memorial
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Mount Mitchill 911 Memorial Dedication Program
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Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook Pamphlet
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Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook Pamphlet
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National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Calendar
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Paper from Vatican
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Paper from Vatican
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Tewksbury Memorial Certificate
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Tewksbury Memorial Letter
Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside Path car
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Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside police vehicle
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Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside Path car
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Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform
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At Awards Ceremony
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Kenneth in police car
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Memorial prayer card
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Memorial prayer card
Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
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Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
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Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
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Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
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Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
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Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet
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Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet
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Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet
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Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet
New Jersey Living Memorial, A Grove of Remembrance
The 9/11 Memorial Bridge
Empty Sky: NJ State 9/11 Memorial
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Fair Haven 9/11 Memorial
Freehold Township 9/11 Living Memorial Tree Grove
Port Authority Police Benevolent Association Inc.
This officer tried to save as many lives as possible on 9/11
Family's Ode: Fallen Port Authority Cop
Officer Down Memorial Page
Kenneth Tietjen, a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, always wanted to be a firefighter.
In junior high school, as a member of the Middletown Fire Explorers, he rode his mo-ped to local fires. When he turned 18, his dream became a reality when he became a volunteer for the Belford Engine Company. His mother remembers how proud he was after fighting his first fire.
"He came home and said, 'We had a great fire today. It was a propane tank,' " said Janice Tietjen of Belford. "He was right at the front of the hose and I said, 'Why were you there?' He said, 'That's where the excitement is.' "
Mr. Tietjen, 31, of Matawan, died while rescuing people trapped in the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attack. He led workers, some of them badly burned, from Tower One before grabbing the last air pack in sight and entering Tower Two.
"He waved to his partner and went in," his mother said.
Mr. Tietjen, who was engaged to be married later this month, died when Tower Two collapsed.
Mr. Tietjen, who had been a Port Authority police officer for nine years, was working his job on the PATH trains when he heard of the attack. He immediately rushed into Manhattan to help, first commandeering a cab, then hopping an emergency vehicle.
"Wherever he could be, that's where he was," his mother said.
At the time of his death, Tietjen was training to be a member of the Port Authority Emergency Services Unit. All he needed was to complete a scuba diving course to fulfill his dream, his mother said.
Mr. Tietjen received several awards for his work with the Port Authority, including a special commendation in 1996 for subduing a man who rammed a patrol car in the Holland Tunnel and then stabbed a police officer.
Off the job, Tietjen, who moved to Matawan two years ago, liked action, too.
He was an avid hockey player and enjoyed riding dirtbikes with his fiancée's 13-year-old son. He was a reliable handyman, always ready to help others with a home improvement project, his mother said.
"He loved Home Depot," she said. "He loved everything -- life, sports, people, his job. Every day was another project for him. He was a lovable person with many, many friends. And I know it sounds corny, but he was a really good kid . . . He was born on the Fourth of July. He was a hero."
Tietjen was a parishioner of St. Joseph's Church in Keyport and a member of Fraternal Order of Police No. 110 and the New Jersey State PBA Lodge 116.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Tietjen is survived by his father, Kenneth Tietjen; his fiancée, Karen Dalla Valle of Matawan; and two sisters, Cindy Tietjen of Belford and Laurie Quinn of Hazlet.
Profile by Carrie Stetler published in THE STAR-LEDGER
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