Then Came the Fire Personal Accounts From the Pentagon 11 September 2001

The horrific events of 11 September 2001 are seared into the memories of all Americans and many others around the world. The fall of the Twin Towers in New York, the attack on the Pentagon, the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in a field in Pennsylvania, and the thousands of dead claimed by the actions of a handful of Islamic-inspired terrorists will not soon be forgotten. But out of the fires and rubble of those events have come a number of personal accounts that depict the initial shock of the attacks, the confusion and heroism of the first responders, the struggles of the survivors, and the outpouring of grief and support of those who could only watch. This latest publication from the U.S. Army Center of Military History brings some of those stories about the attack on the Pentagon to life. Stephen J. Lofgren, general editor of this collection, and a team of oral historians conducted hundreds of interviews with witnesses, first responders, and survivors of the Pentagon in the days immediately following the event. The anthology consists of excerpts from the accounts of sixty-one people, both oral interview and written, who were involved in the attack, and it provides their stories and perspectives on that day. The range of personal experiences is broad. It includes individuals who watched the plane strike the building, Pentagon occupants-some of whom were badly injured-who sought to escape the burning area, and bystanders and other Pentagon personnel who sought to help and rescue colleagues, as well as people involved in the response and recovery efforts. This book, prepared for the tenth anniversary of the attacks, is an important compilation of personal recountings of the Pentagon on 11 September that will serve to remind future generations of the tragedy and the acts of valor on that day.