Description Recovered white wood golf tee belonging to John P. O'Neill.
Historical Notes Atlantic City, New Jersey, native John O’Neill lived in New York City. He had two children. John spent over 20 years in the FBI, where he tracked terrorists and became the special agent in charge of the National Security Division of its New York office. He retired in 2001. In August, John became Silverstein Properties’ head of World Trade Center security. On September 11, he was at work. He was 49 years old.
Curator's Comment When asked to characterize John O’Neill’s golf game, his son described John’s “typical” swing as one in which the ball flew in the wrong direction. John was unsatisfied with his golf game and quite often “did not conceal that frustration,” his son recalled. However, golf was an important way to socialize. During his long FBI career, which ended in August 2001, John had made a point of getting to know his counterparts from other countries, sometimes over a bonding round of golf. HIDE