There are many moments to remember about that day. For instance, the fact that the weather today is very similar to that not so long ago day 20 years ago was extremely sobering this morning. Most people will remember exactly where they were and what they were doing that terrible day. For those that were old enough to remember the “day the world stopped turning” it will never be forgotten.

 

As first responders, September 11 is always in our hearts and in our minds. We watched in fear and anger as our comrades, along with countless others lost their lives. We grieved with families we did not know. We rushed to staff stations across the Nation. We felt frustration at not being able to help from where we were.

 

In remembrance of American Airlines Flight 77, please listen as one of our own dedicates TAPS to those that were lost at the exact time of impact, 9:37 am EST.

 

AA Flight 77 departed Dulles International Airport headed for Los Angeles. Dulles International is located in Virginia, just to the West of Washington D.C. Flight 77 departed the gate on time at 8:10am and took off at 8:20am. Just 35 minutes into the flight, barely over the West Virginia line into Pike County, Ohio, the cockpit was stormed and the aircraft taken over by 5 hijackers, shortly after American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

 

At this point the aircraft was turned around and autopilot was set towards Washington D.C.

At its approach to Washington, the hijackers took manual control back from the aircraft at approximately 9:29am and was now steering it straight towards the Pentagon building and downtown area.

 

At 9:37am, flying at 530mph, the aircraft crashed into the first floor of the West side of the Pentagon building. The aircraft penetrated 310ft into the Pentagons three most outer rings and sent a fireball 200ft into the air. The Pentagon building consists of five rings in total.

 

In total, there were 189 deaths at the Pentagon crash site; 125 in the Pentagon building, 53 Flight 77 passengers, 6 Flight 77 crew members, and 5 hijackers (this writer will not be listing those last 5 names). The fatalities at the Pentagon included 55 Military personnel and 70 civilians. Another 106 injuries occurred at the Pentagon crash site, those were treated at area hospitals.

 

Below is a list of all 184 fatalities, please remember them.

 

Paul Wesley Ambrose AA Flight 77

Craig S. Amundson Pentagon

Melissa Rose Barnes Pentagon

Max Beilke Pentagon

Yemen Betru AA Flight 77

Kris Romeo Bishundat Pentagon

Carrie Blagburn Pentagon

Canfield D. Boone Pentagon

Mary Jane Booth AA Flight 77

Donna Bowen Pentagon

Allen Boyle Pentagon

Bernard Brown AA Flight 77

Christopher Lee Burford Pentagon

Charles Burlingame AA Flight 77

Daniel Martin Caballero Pentagon

Jose Orlando Calderon Pentagon

Suzanne Calley AA Flight 77

Angelene C. Carter Pentagon

Sharon S. Carver Pentagon

William Caswell AA Flight 77

John Chada Pentagon

Rosemary Chapa Pentagon

David Charlebois AA Flight 77

Sarah M. Clark AA Flight 77

Julian Cooper Pentagon

Asia Cottom AA Flight 77

Eric Allen Cranford Pentagon

Ada Davis Pentagon

James Debeuneure AA Flight 77

Gerald F. DeConto Pentagon

Rodney Dickens AA Flight 77

Jerry D. Dickerson Pentagon

Eddie Dillard AA Flight 77

Johnnie Doctor Jr. Pentagon

Cmdr. Robert Edward Dolan Pentagon

William Howard Donovan Jr. Pentagon

Charles Droz AA Flight 77

Patrick Dunn Pentagon

Edward Thomas Earhart Pentagon

Barbara G. Edwards AA Flight 77

Robert Randolph Elseth Pentagon

Charles S. Falkenberg AA Flight 77

Dana Falkenberg AA Flight 77

Zoe Falkenberg AA Flight 77

Jamie Lynn Fallon Pentagon

James Joe Ferguson AA Flight 77

Amelia Fields Pentagon

Gerald P. Fisher Pentagon

Darlene 'Dee' Flagg AA Flight 77

Wilson 'Bud' Flagg AA Flight 77

Matthew Flocco Pentagon

Sandra Foster Pentagon

Richard Gabriel AA Flight 77

Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred Pentagon

Cortz Ghee Pentagon

Brenda C. Gibson Pentagon

Ron Golinski Pentagon

Ian J. Gray AA Flight 77

Diane Hale-McKinzy Pentagon

Stanley Hall AA Flight 77

Carolyn Halmon Pentagon

Michelle Heidenberger AA Flight 77

Sheila Hein Pentagon

Ronald John Hemenway Pentagon

Maj. Wallace C. Hogan Jr. Pentagon

Jimmie Ira Holley Pentagon

Angela Houtz Pentagon

Brady Kay Howell Pentagon

Peggie Hurt Pentagon

Lt. Col. Stephen Neil Hyland Jr. Pentagon

Robert Hymel Pentagon

Sgt. Maj. Lacey Ivory Pentagon

Bryan C. Jack AA Flight 77

Steven D. 'Jake' Jacoby AA Flight 77

Lt. Col. Dennis Johnson Pentagon

Judith Jones Pentagon

Ann Judge AA Flight 77

Brenda Kegler Pentagon

Chandler Keller AA Flight 77

Yvonne Kennedy AA Flight 77

Norma Khan AA Flight 77

Karen A. Kincaid AA Flight 77

Michael 'Scott' Lamana Pentagon

David Laychak Pentagon

Dong C. Lee AA Flight 77

Jennifer Lewis AA Flight 77

Kenneth Lewis AA Flight 77

Samantha Lightbourn-Allen Pentagon

Stephen Vernon Long Pentagon

James T. Lynch Pentagon

Terence Michael Lynch Pentagon

Nehamon Lyons IV Pentagon

Shelley Marshall Pentagon

Teresa Martin Pentagon

Ada Mason Pentagon

Dean Mattson Pentagon

Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude Pentagon

Robert Maxwell Pentagon

Renee A. May AA Flight 77

Molly McKenzie Pentagon

Dora Menchaca AA Flight 77

Patricia E. (Patti) Mickley Pentagon

Maj. Ronald D. Milam Pentagon

Gerard P. 'Jerry' Moran Pentagon

Odessa V. Morris Pentagon

Brian Anthony Moss Pentagon

Teddington Hamm Moy Pentagon

Patrick Jude Murphy Pentagon

Christopher C. Newton AA Flight 77

Khang Nguyen Pentagon

Michael Allen Noeth Pentagon

Barbara K. Olson AA Flight 77

Ruben Ornedo AA Flight 77

Diana Padro Pentagon

Chin Sun Pak Pentagon

Jonas Martin Panik Pentagon

Clifford Patterson Pentagon

Robert Penniger AA Flight 77

Robert R. Ploger III AA Flight 77

Zandra Cooper Ploger AA Flight 77

Lt. J.G. Darin H. Pontell Pentagon

Scott Powell Pentagon

Jack Punches Pentagon

Joseph John Pycior Jr. Pentagon

Lisa Raines AA Flight 77

Deborah A. Ramsaur Pentagon

Rhonda Sue Ridge Rasmussen Pentagon

Marsha D. Ratchford Pentagon

Martha Reszke Pentagon

Todd Reuben AA Flight 77

Cecelia E. Richard Pentagon

Edward Veld Rowenhorst Pentagon

Judy Rowlett Pentagon

Robert E. Russell Pentagon

William Ruth Pentagon

Charles E. Sabin Pentagon

Marjorie C. Salamone Pentagon

John Sammartino AA Flight 77

Lt. Col. Dave Scales Pentagon

Cmdr. Robert A. Schlegel Pentagon

Janice M. Scott Pentagon

Michael L. Selves Pentagon

Marian H. Serva Pentagon

Cmdr. Daniel F. Shadower Pentagon

Antionette Sherman Pentagon

Diane Simmons AA Flight 77

Don Simmons Pentagon

George Simmons AA Flight 77

Cheryle Sincock Pentagon

Gregg Harold Smallwood Pentagon

Lt. Col. Gary Smith Pentagon

Mari-Rae Sopper AA Flight 77

Robert Speisman AA Flight 77

Pat Statz Pentagon

Edna L. Stephens Pentagon

Norma Lang Steuerle AA Flight 77

Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland Pentagon

Hilda E. Taylor AA Flight 77

Kip Paul Taylor Pentagon

Leonard Taylor AA Flight 77

Sandra Taylor Pentagon

Sandra D. Teague AA Flight 77

Karl W. Teepe Pentagon

Sgt. Tamara Thurman Pentagon

Otis Vincent Tolbert Pentagon

Willie Q. Troy Pentagon

Lt. Cmdr. Ronald J. Vauk Pentagon

Karen J. Wagner Pentagon

Meta Waller Pentagon

Sandra White Pentagon

Staff Sgt. Maudlyn White Pentagon

Leslie A. Whittington AA Flight 77

Ernest M. Willcher Pentagon

David L. Williams Pentagon

Maj. Dwayne Williams Pentagon

Marvin Roger Woods Pentagon

John D. Yamnicky Sr. AA Flight 77

Vicki Yancey AA Flight 77

Shuyin Yang AA Flight 77

Kevin Wayne Yokum Pentagon

Donald McArthur Young Pentagon

Edmond Young Pentagon

Lisa Young Pentagon

Yuguang Zheng AA Flight 77