Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant James Buebendorf died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.
Lieutenant Buebendorf was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for 28 years.
September 11, 2001 - The Years After
Lieutenant James V. Buebendorf was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 57 years old that fall.
He died on January 28, 2023 - 21 years and 4 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 78.
He is one of 599 officers honored here, and one of 450 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 was survived by his wife, son, two daughters, and seven grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-16BA88D8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.
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Tributes
You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Lieutenant Buebendorf gave the New York City Police Department 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Buebendorf.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James V. Buebendorf served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Lieutenant James V. Buebendorf is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At New York City Police Department, 538 of 1237 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 43.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James V. Buebendorf's cause is highlighted.
How James V. Buebendorf Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. James V. Buebendorf is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Military Service
James V. Buebendorf served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit James V. Buebendorf’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
