May 29, 2009 10:15 pm US/Eastern
New Yorkers Warm To Harry's Ordinary Guy Guise
British Prince Hits Ground Zero, Impresses Firefighters With His Appreciation Of Impact Of 9/11 On NYC
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Britain's Prince Harry talks with corpsman Brian Ross during a visit to the Veterans Administration Harbor Healthcare System on May 29, 2009, in New York.
Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images
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Prince Harry lays a wreath at Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Center, on May 29, 2009, in New York.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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Prince Harry meets Monica Iken, who lost her husband in the World Trade Centre attacks in 2001, and Madisen Iken, 3, at Ground Zero on May 29, 2009, in New York.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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In this exclusive CBS station WCBS-TV photo, Prince Harry is seen walking out of John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday May 29, 2009.
WCBS-TV
Britain's Prince Harry paid his respects at the World Trade Center site
and met with relatives of 9/11 victims on the first day of his first
official visit to the United States.
The 24-year-old prince arrived Friday morning at John F. Kennedy Airport.
The prince arrived with the commoners. Passengers on his flight said he seemed like one of them – right down to his attire, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York.
"Jeans and a t-shirt, regular, just like this," passenger Eduardo Grullon said. "Nothing fancy, nothing different."
"He was quiet, very low key and that's the way it should be," Alan Threadgold added.
But in public, nothing is low key as evidenced by the screams everywhere he seems to go around the rest of the world.
The prince laid a peonies and roses at ground zero and met with families, emergency workers and other officials.
"It's fantastic to see what's going on," Harry said as he surveyed the growing landscape at the place where the Twin Towers once stood.
Firefighters next to ground zero welcomed him with gifts and gratitude.
"You could tell the guy was sincere," FDNY Lt. Mike Steo said. "He seems like a nice kid, a nice little lad if you can call him that. It means a lot to us that it still has that affect on people practically almost 10 years later."
"I think it's great," Marcia Plessinger added. "I think it keeps attention on what happened here and we need to not forget what it was."
Prince Harry's first visit was to ground zero and the meeting there with the guys at Ladder Co. 10. The crowd was still excited after he left, but the prince is also in town to raise money for a foundation that was founded in his mother's honor.
It helps orphans in Africa and Prince Harry will raise funds in a charity polo benefit.
The 24-year-old is part philanthropist, part infamous partier.
"Yeah, I do know that, so I'm glad he's taking time out and coming to visit," Betsy Petrus said.
Prince Harry also visited the garden in Hanover Square that honors the 67 British victims of 9/11.
"It was amazing. It's not every day you get to see a prince come to America. It was awesome," Brittany Clark said.
More than 200 years after America broke away from Great Britain, there seems to be no hard feelings.
On Saturday morning Prince Harry will tour the Harlem Children's Zone. He will also play a polo match on Governor's Island before he heads back to London on Saturday night.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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