Two Port Authority Police Rookies Honor Their 9/11 Legacy
The grandson and son of 9/11 first responders both received their shields from family members at a badge ceremony honoring the Port Authority Police Department’s 123rd class, held at the 9/11 Memorial in downtown Manhattan.
| 23 Jun 2025 | 01:49
For two Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) rookies who received their badges days before their June 20 graduation, the event marked the continuation of a family legacy of service and sacrifice that stretched back to 9/11 and beyond.
Sean Krueger and Keith Walcott Jr. received their shields and badge numbers from family members who inspired their paths to law enforcement. Sean Krueger was honored by his grandfather, retired PAPD Sgt. Conrad Krueger, who survived the September 11, 2001, attacks, while Walcott received his shield award from his father, Keith Walcott Sr., who responded to both the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the subsequent 2001 attacks.
Held within the 9/11 Memorial and Museum during the annual PAPD badge ceremony, 71 members of the PAPD’s 123rd police academy class were honored at the ceremony.
Unlike fellow recruits, Krueger and Walcott did not receive their shields from active PAPD officials. Instead, their badges were pinned on by the family member whose courage and service helped mold their paths toward law enforcement.
Sgt. Krueger was a 9/11 first responder who became trapped in the South Tower for several hours during the morning rescue efforts.
For Krueger, it wasn’t simply his grandfather’s actions on Sept. 11 that inspired him, rather how he has lived ever since, how the sergeant has carried himself in everyday life.
“I’ve always looked up to my grandfather, not just for what he did on September 11, but for how he’s carried that experience with strength and humility every day since,” he said. “Wearing his shield doesn’t just connect me to him. It connects me to a legacy of sacrifice, resilience, and service.”
For Sgt. Krueger, his grandson’s induction into the force was deeply personal.
“Every time I think of that day, I think of the people we lost, and the duty we still have to honor them,” Conrad Krueger said. “To see my grandson take up the shield, and to hand him mine, right here where so many of my brothers and sisters are memorialized, is an experience beyond words.”
Keith Walcott Sr., a veteran of both the 1993 bombing and the Sept. 11 attacks, expressed pride in seeing his son step into the PAPD force.
“Public service isn’t something you clock in and out of, it’s something you live,” said Walcott Sr. “I’m proud to see my son continue what I started, and to know he understands both the privilege and responsibility that come with this shield.”
Walcott Jr. echoed his father’s message, reflecting on childhood memories of watching his father and colleagues play for the PAPD’s softball team in Jersey City. “My father’s stories, his sacrifices, his commitment to people—it all shaped how I see this job,” he said. “Standing here today, getting his shield at this place, it just feels right.”
As the PAPD badge ceremony came to a close, the symbolic action of passing a shield from one generation to the next carried lasting significance. In fitting nature, PAPD’s newest officers commenced their careers in a space where the legacies of action and sacrifice are enshrined.
“This is not just about honoring the past—it’s about building the future with the same courage, commitment, and compassion that carried us through our darkest days,” said Superintendent of Police Edward Cetnar. “When a father or grandfather passes on their shield, they are not simply passing on a number. They’re passing on history, integrity, and the heart of this department.”