Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Charles Cole died from illnesses he contracted from inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Officer Cole served with the Nassau County Police Department for 24 years and was assigned to the Emergency Services Unit. Following the attack, officers from Nassau County, which borders New York City, were sent to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts.
September 11, 2001 - The Years After
Police Officer Charles Dennis Cole, Jr. was assigned to the search and recovery at the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. He was 40 years old that fall.
He died on August 14, 2011 - 9 years and 11 months later - of an illness contracted there. He was 49.
He is one of 599 officers honored here, and one of 14 at Nassau County 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
Officer Cole is survived by his wife, son, daughter, brother, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-F959D6D6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You walked into it and it took years to finish the job.
Police Officer Cole gave the Nassau County Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mineola community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Cole.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Charles Dennis Cole, Jr. is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NY, 629 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 29.3% of this state's fallen. That is 20.2 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Nassau County Police Department, 16 of 51 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 31.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles Dennis Cole, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Charles Dennis Cole, Jr. Compares
Offender Outcome
19 suicide attackers
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Dennis Cole, Jr. is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
50 officers from Nassau County Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
