Never Forget: 15 years later, 9/11 tattoos remain strong

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Fifteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people continue to ink their skin in remembrance.  
In general, Americans don't like to talk about death, and these tattoos are a conversation starter on that important topic, says bereavement specialist and GriefINK author Susan Salluce. The markings give the tattoo bearer the opportunity to explain the emotions and meaning behind the ink.

Here are some of those stories.

Max Giaccone, 25, lost his father

"Getting the tattoos was definitely a coping mechanism in some ways for me,” he says.

Permanent reminder: A touching story behind 9/11 ink

Max Giaccone lost his father on September 11, 2001, when he was ten. A portrait of the two of them sits on his back. He says tattoos are a way to carry his father with him every day.

Brian Branco, 50, survivor

“I would have never gotten any tattoos if it wasn’t for September 11 and my need to keep the memory alive of my friends who died that day,” he says.

15 years later, 9/11 tattoos remain strong

Brian Branco wants you to remember his friends. Of of the five people he was with on September 11, 2001, only he and another colleague got out. The other three he has memorialized on his arm.

Evelyn Lugo, 39, survivor

"There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t remember – that I don’t think about it," she says.

A 9/11 survivor stays alive by not listening to others

Evelyn Lugo, a 9/11 survivor, explains why her "never forget" tattoo gives her strength

Steven Waldron, 41, New York Police Department officer

His tattoo of the 23 New York Police Department officers and two other friends who died on 9/11 is a way "to honor these guys," he says.

Lost colleagues and friends remembered in 9/11 tattoos

On 9/11 Steven Waldron was an off duty police officer who responded when people were in need. It took him fifteen years to finally get his memorial tattoo.

Michael Anthony Cascio III, 19, aspiring firefighter 

The tattoo “symbolizes strength” and is a tribute to those who respond to emergencies, says Cascio.

An aspiring firefighter shares the story of his new 9/11 tattoo

Mike A Cascio III, an aspiring New York firefighter, reflects on the meaning of his 9/11 tattoo.

Sara Snyder, Paste BN

Contributing:  Sara Snyder, Michael Monday, Rui Ellie Miao

Never forget: 9/11 tattoos pay tribute

Hear the incredibly touching stories behind these 9/11 tattoos