PAPD WTC Memorial Bus, July 6, 2003

At racetrack in "Until We Meet Again" shirts

Donated bikes for Kenneth's foundation

Donated bikes and a visit from Santa for Kenneth's foundation

Donated bikes for Kenneth's foundation

Flags flown during one of Kenneth's memorials

Framed photo

Picture of Kenneth pulling unconscious man out of fire

Ice hockey uniform

Kenneth's picture at the Washington DC Memorial

Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Banner

Laminated memorial photo

Middletown NJ Memorial

Middletown NJ Memorial

Ocean County Herald Society Band

PAPD Officer Paul Nunizatto and Janice Tietjen


Tietjen weathered metal memorial

Donated toys and games

Father and Grandfather in Washington DC Memorial

WTC cross brought to Pope John Paul in Rome
Article about Beach Ramp for the handicapped in memory of Kenneth Tietjen

Article about Beach Ramp for the handicapped in memory of Kenneth Tietjen

Newspaper clipping showing Hazlet NJ memorial

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Newspaper clipping on Kenneth's death

Article on Kenneth's foundation's targeting at-risk students

Article on Kenneth's foundation's targeting at-risk students

Newspaper clipping from Mount Mitchill

NY Times Memorial clipping with Memorial photo

Pope John Paul receives PAPD

Port Authority memorial Document

Port Authority memorial Document

Clipping from The Catholic Advocate publication

Middletown Township letter from Mayor
Letter to inform the family of a 9/11 memorial being created in California

Memorial Donor Key

Picture of the first card

Picture of the first card

Picture of the first card

Letter for memorial in Miami Florida

Memory Medallion letter

Freedom card

Freedom card

Freedom card

Thank you card to the foundation for donation

Thank you card to the foundation for donation

Thank you card to the foundation for donation

Thinking of You card

Thinking of You card

Thinking of You card
Dedication sign for Sandy Hook Boardwalk funded by the Kenneth Tietjen Foundation

In Loving Memory letter for Kenneth

Police Officer Commemorative Journal

Meritorious Police Duty Medal letter

Write-up for Port Authority Memorial

Mount Mitchill 911 Memorial Dedication Program

Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook Pamphlet

Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook Pamphlet

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Calendar

Paper from Vatican

Paper from Vatican

Tewksbury Memorial Certificate

Tewksbury Memorial Letter
Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside Path car

Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside police vehicle

Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform inside Path car

Picture of Kenneth in his PAPD uniform

At Awards Ceremony

Kenneth in police car

Memorial prayer card

Memorial prayer card
Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund

Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund

Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund

Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund

Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund

Pamphlet for Aspire Program created through the Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Fund
Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet

Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet

Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet

Kenneth Tietjen Memorial Foundation Info Booklet
New Jersey Living Memorial, A Grove of Remembrance
The 9/11 Memorial Bridge
Empty Sky: NJ State 9/11 Memorial
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Fair Haven 9/11 Memorial
Freehold Township 9/11 Living Memorial Tree Grove
Port Authority Police Benevolent Association Inc.
This officer tried to save as many lives as possible on 9/11
Family's Ode: Fallen Port Authority Cop
Officer Down Memorial Page
Kenneth Tietjen, a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, always wanted to be a firefighter.
In junior high school, as a member of the Middletown Fire Explorers, he rode his mo-ped to local fires. When he turned 18, his dream became a reality when he became a volunteer for the Belford Engine Company. His mother remembers how proud he was after fighting his first fire.
"He came home and said, 'We had a great fire today. It was a propane tank,' " said Janice Tietjen of Belford. "He was right at the front of the hose and I said, 'Why were you there?' He said, 'That's where the excitement is.' "
Mr. Tietjen, 31, of Matawan, died while rescuing people trapped in the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attack. He led workers, some of them badly burned, from Tower One before grabbing the last air pack in sight and entering Tower Two.
"He waved to his partner and went in," his mother said.
Mr. Tietjen, who was engaged to be married later this month, died when Tower Two collapsed.
Mr. Tietjen, who had been a Port Authority police officer for nine years, was working his job on the PATH trains when he heard of the attack. He immediately rushed into Manhattan to help, first commandeering a cab, then hopping an emergency vehicle.
"Wherever he could be, that's where he was," his mother said.
At the time of his death, Tietjen was training to be a member of the Port Authority Emergency Services Unit. All he needed was to complete a scuba diving course to fulfill his dream, his mother said.
Mr. Tietjen received several awards for his work with the Port Authority, including a special commendation in 1996 for subduing a man who rammed a patrol car in the Holland Tunnel and then stabbed a police officer.
Off the job, Tietjen, who moved to Matawan two years ago, liked action, too.
He was an avid hockey player and enjoyed riding dirtbikes with his fiancée's 13-year-old son. He was a reliable handyman, always ready to help others with a home improvement project, his mother said.
"He loved Home Depot," she said. "He loved everything -- life, sports, people, his job. Every day was another project for him. He was a lovable person with many, many friends. And I know it sounds corny, but he was a really good kid . . . He was born on the Fourth of July. He was a hero."
Tietjen was a parishioner of St. Joseph's Church in Keyport and a member of Fraternal Order of Police No. 110 and the New Jersey State PBA Lodge 116.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Tietjen is survived by his father, Kenneth Tietjen; his fiancée, Karen Dalla Valle of Matawan; and two sisters, Cindy Tietjen of Belford and Laurie Quinn of Hazlet.
Profile by Carrie Stetler published in THE STAR-LEDGER
Add new Guest Book entry