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Police Officer

James Junior Godbee

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

September 11, 2001 →Veteran → Illness

End of Watch December 30, 2004

Age 44

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Badge 12752

The Vigil Panel 340 · Column 2 · Line 18 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 1,221

Incident

Police Officer James Godbee died of an illness that he contracted as a direct result of his participation in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Officer Godbee worked hundreds of hours as part of the rescue and recovery effort around Ground Zero. He contracted Sarcoidosis after his exposure and inhalation of toxic materials present at the World Trade Center site. That condition later lead to a fatal heart attack.

Officer Godbee was a U.S Marine Corps veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for 18 years. He was assigned to the 28th Precinct.

September 11, 2001 - The Years After

Police Officer James Junior Godbee was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 41 years old that fall.

He died on December 30, 2004 - 3 years and 3 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 44.

He is one of 600 officers honored here, and one of 451 at New York City Police Department.

The most recent of these deaths was October 24, 2025.

Officers who worked the search, rescue, and recovery at the World Trade Center site breathed contaminated air for weeks and months afterward. Many developed cancers and respiratory disease, and they have gone on dying of it ever since.

Seventy-two officers were killed on the morning itself. Hundreds more have died in the years that followed. They are honored here together, because the same attack killed them all. With some it simply took longer.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 22, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew James. Claim this record.

Also honored at requiem.nw, salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps, salute.nw. One record, 4 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Police Officer Godbee gave the New York City Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Godbee.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 30, 2004

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 44

Badge Number 12752

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

Military Service

James Junior Godbee served in the the United States military (1980) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Illness

James is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2004, 3 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 33rd heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States

Who

James was 44. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. James had served 18 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

December holds 9.6% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Thursdays: 15.7%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was aircraft; passenger jet, in 29.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded