Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11
Search in google:
Amid all the stories of tragedy and heroism on September 11, there is one tale that has yet to be told–the gripping account of ordinary men and women braving the inferno at the Pentagon to rescue friends and co-workers, save the nation’s military headquarters, and defend their country.Pentagon firefighters Alan Wallace and Mark Skipper had just learned the shocking news that planes had struck the World Trade Center when they saw something equally inconceivable: a twin-engine jetliner flying straight at them. It was American Airlines Flight 77, rushing toward its target. In his Pentagon office, Army major David King was planning a precautionary evacuation when the room suddenly erupted in flames. Arlington firefighters Derek Spector, Brian Roache, and Ron Christman, among the first responders at the scene, were stunned by the sight that met them: a huge flaming hole gouged into the Pentagon’s side, a lawn strewn with smoking debris, and thousands of people, some badly injured, stumbling away from what would become one of the most daunting fires in American history. For more than twenty-four hours, Arlington firefighters and other crews faced some of the most dangerous and unusual circumstances imaginable. The size and structure of the Pentagon itself presented unique challenges, compelling firefighters to devise ingenious tactics and make bold decisions–until they finally extinguished the fire that threatened to cripple America’s military infrastructure just when it was needed most. Granted unprecedented access to the major players in the valiant response efforts, Patrick Creed and Rick Newman take us step-by-step through theharrowing minutes, hours, and days following the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon’s western façade. Providing fascinating personal stories of the firefighters and rescuers, a broader view of how the U.S. national security command structure was held intact, and a sixteen-page insert of dramatic photographs, Firefight is a unique testament to the fortitude and resilience of America. The Washington Post - John N. Maclean It took five years for authors Patrick Creed, a volunteer firefighter and Army officer, and Rick Newman, a writer for U.S. News and World Report, to pull together this story. Combing public records and conducting 150 interviews, Creed and Newman have done a monumental reporting job. Firefight tells the tale moment by moment through the accounts of dozens of participants and eye-witnesses. The book needed an editor with a sharper blue pencil—it's too long, and the writing can be monotonous. Not unlike the heroes whose stories they tell, however, Creed and Newman faced a daunting challenge, rose to the occasion and rescued a piece of history from the ashes.
Maps xRecurring Characters xiiiThe Towers 3AA 77 110.8 Seconds 22"Bump it to a Third" 31Just Like Vietnam 44"This is Gonna Suck" 51"Send Nobody Inside" 64Fourth Door on the Left 78Evacuate? 85Hellhole 97Cigarette Break 105Spectators 115Helo Ride 1221,000 Degrees 130Retreat 142Untenable 155The NMCC 166The FBI 177Everybody Out of the Pool 185Making the Team 195Rookie Mistake 205"Daddy's There" 216Trench Cuts 226Sensitive Missions 234Open for Business 244Home for Dinner 252Night Ops 262Planting A Flag 274Beer Run 282Ladder 16 291Explain This 298"We Can't Let Them Win Now" 309TheWidowmaker 319The Tiller Cab 331Stress Management 342The Eagle Scouts 353Low Tide 362The Navy Command Center 371Twelve Victims 380Flare-Up 389"A Great Find" 400The Jaws of Life 407Traffic 415The T-Rex 423The VIPs 434A Ceremony 444Epilogue 453Acknowledgments 459Notes 463Index 469
