Subject: Incredible Story
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 11:32:44 -0800

I have an interesting story for you all:


On August 27th, I filled out an application to renew my passport. It was
mailed to the passport office in New Hampshire. I expected maybe to wait
six to eight weeks to get the new passport.

It never came.

It turns out, the passport was officially issued on September 6th by the
New Hampshire office, and then forwarded to Boston. On September 11th, it
was put on an airplane destined for Los Angeles. This (American Airlines)
flight tragically was hijacked and diverted to the World Trade Center.

The crash and explosion mangled the passport, but it was otherwise still
intact. Officer Jimmy Boyle of the New York police (fifth precinct) found
the passport among the rubble of the WTC, beneath the remains of a body.
Without any other ID, the police assumed this was the passport's owner. A
few days later, the fifth precinct police held an informal funeral for this
assumed "John Turley", along with some others.

A few weeks passed, and nobody reported any "John Turley" missing at the
WTC. So they were never sure. Officer Boyle, who had found the passport,
decided to investigate it on his own. The passport said that I was born in
Connecticut, and there are apparently about 35 Turleys living there. He
called as many as he could find, but didn't get anywhere. No person there
was missed. Officer Boyle of course figured that the state someone was born
in (40 years ago) might not be where they are living now. They might not
even be in the USA!

He then called the State Department, and gave them all the information
(date of birth, passport number, etc). They told him that the passport
owner lives in Southern California, but could not give the actual address
due to reasons of privacy. They asked Officer Boyle for the passport, but
he said that he could not give it to them since it was found at the scene
of a crime (the destruction of the WTC) and it was still officially
considered as 'evidence'.

Officer Boyle then started calling California residences. Last night
(November 20th) at 10:00 PM (Los Angeles time) he left a brief message on
my machine, and gave his home phone number, and told me to call him
collect. Coming home after midnight and playing this message, I was
convinced it was just a prank call! After all, how would my passport have
ended up in the rubble at the WTC site?? But it was a New York number, and
the call sounded sincere.

I called Officer Boyle this morning (but not collect) and got the story
from him. He explained how the passport was on the airplane and ended up in
the WTC rubble. He wants to send the passport via overnight express, since
it will give him closure on this experience. He has refused any payment
(even for the postage!) from me for this. He needs to do this for
'closure'.

Then just ten minutes after speaking to Officer Boyle, I got a call from a
Michael Hoffman at the New York passport office, telling me the same
amazing story. Except that Michael Hoffman added that I will need a new
passport since the one the New York police are sending is too mangled to be
used for travel. I asked Mr. Hoffman if other passports have been found at
the WTC site? According to Mr. Hoffman, mine is the only one so far.

I don't know if I would want to travel with this mangled passport anyway,
since it is jinxed. Still, this passport has an incredible story attached
to it.


Happy Thanksgiving!


John