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Battling the Pentagon Blaze After 9/11
NPR ^ | 5/22/2008

Posted on 05/23/2008 8:00:32 AM PDT by Fry

Fresh Air from WHYY, May 22, 2008 · After American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, it took firefighters three days to extinguish the flames. Firefighter Patrick Creed and journalist Rick Newman join Fresh Air to talk about the Pentagon blaze and the book they wrote about it, Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11.

Firefight tells the stories of the people inside the Pentagon when the plane hit, the rescue efforts that followed the attack and the three-day battle to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters faced unique circumstances, Creed and Newman write, because structural reinforcements built to safeguard the Pentagon against attack — like blast-proof windows and a roof covered by a foot of concrete — hampered their progress.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Virginia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911; arlington; arlingtonva; firefighters; firstresponders; flight77; npr; pentagon
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The audio of the interview with Pat Creed and Rick Newman is on the site and very interesting. All sorts of details in the interview about how the unique nature of the Pentagon made fighting the fire so difficult. Also, an excerpt from the chapter describing the impact of Flight 77 into the Pentagon and the path of destruction through the building is posted there and is fascinating.

In the spirit of complete disclosure, I've known Pat for most of my life and he sent me an advance copy of the book and it is great. Amazing details, compelling stories. It reflects incredibly well on the Arlington Fire Department, the other responders and the actions of the military personnel saving their colleagues inside the Pentagon.
1 posted on 05/23/2008 8:02:07 AM PDT by Fry
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To: Fry
After American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001

For the sake of all the 'Truthers' out there, shouldn't that read allegedly crashed into the Pentagon.

2 posted on 05/23/2008 8:05:43 AM PDT by Always Right (Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?)
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To: Always Right

Yes, these are the people Barry can’t wait to sit down with.


3 posted on 05/23/2008 8:08:56 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Always Right

:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

George Santayana
4 posted on 05/23/2008 8:09:16 AM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Fry
Bookmarking for the weekend, thanks for the info!
5 posted on 05/23/2008 8:09:47 AM PDT by roses of sharon ( (Who will be McCain's maverick?))
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To: Fry

Well it’s a good thing that fire can’t melt steel because otherwise it all would have burned to the ground.

I wonder what type of fire protection the Pentagon has. That must be an NFPA nightmare in there.


6 posted on 05/23/2008 8:12:57 AM PDT by domenad (In all things, in all ways, at all times, let honor guide me.)
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To: Always Right

Funny. I once got into an ultimately pointless go around with one of them about that very topic. I’d say this book shuts up that argument in so many ways... but logic, facts and reality have never been part of their reasoning so I see no reason to believe it will be now.


7 posted on 05/23/2008 8:13:19 AM PDT by Fry
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To: Fry

Thanks for the info...I worked at the Pentagon for 8 years in the 80s and loved it so took it personally when the plane hit it....also on that day two of my closest friends were working there - thank goodness both were on the Riverside entrance side and we able to get out safely. I’m planning on buying the book as soon as I can and giving it to them.


8 posted on 05/23/2008 8:15:03 AM PDT by BamaDi (John McCain.....not my first choice but the alternative is unacceptable!)
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To: Fry

Interesting...my brother was in the Pentagon on 9/11. I’ll have to see if he’s aware of this book; I’m sure he’d like to give it a read. I love being with him when we come across some “troothers” and they start talking about missiles. Not only was he in the building (USAF side), he has his bachelors degrees in physics and aeronautical engineering, and advanced degrees in geophysics, so from both an experential and academic perspective he’s got a very good understanding of the event. Although he’s usually very reserved in his manners, the person that dares suggest they know the, “truth” about what happened is in for a very long and animated lecture/physics lesson from which they can only emerge sounding like an absolute moron.


9 posted on 05/23/2008 8:20:48 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: domenad

The book goes into real detail about that and how the anti terrorism upgrades to the building and the unique construction of the building greatly complicated fighting the fire. The blast proof windows and the Kevlar sheets built into the walls and the construction of the roof were particularly challenging. An interesting bit is how the combination locks on safes and secure file cabinets were melted off and that the fire was so intense that one of the flight recorders was burned so badly as to be unrecognizable and was almost discarded.


10 posted on 05/23/2008 8:23:29 AM PDT by Fry
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To: Fry

I want to know what happened to Mark Skipper and Alan Wallace.


11 posted on 05/23/2008 8:27:06 AM PDT by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: Joe 6-pack

The chapter on the impact of the plane describes exactly what happened in the span of 8/10ths of second. It is great reading. The physics of a plane flying 500mph carrying over 5,000 gallons of aviation fuel smashing into the side of a concrete and steel office building are undeniable. (We’ll... at least they SHOULD be undeniable to anyone with any reasoning ability.)


12 posted on 05/23/2008 8:38:33 AM PDT by Fry
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To: Fry

Bookmarking for later!!! Gotta go to work...


13 posted on 05/23/2008 8:51:01 AM PDT by Theresawithanh (..."I just said some things that weren't in keeping with what I knew to be the case." - HRC)
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To: Fry

I’m gonna have to get the book.

I had a friend and work colleague buy the farm that day. His office was in the basement. I still miss him.


14 posted on 05/23/2008 8:56:08 AM PDT by sauropod (I'd rather be waterboarded than vote for Juan McCain)
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To: Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
They are covered. Their description of seeing the plane come in and diving for cover is compelling. They rescued people at the site and were injured themselves.
15 posted on 05/23/2008 9:03:36 AM PDT by Fry
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To: Always Right

Everybody knows it was a missile and not a plane / best impression of a “truther” nut.


16 posted on 05/23/2008 9:10:56 AM PDT by Para-Ord.45
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To: Fry

Thank you.

Are they all right now?


17 posted on 05/23/2008 9:11:08 AM PDT by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: Fry

In one of those little odd factoids, the daughter of the pilot of flight 77 died in December, 2006 in a fire at a Hudson River condo complex that overlooks Manhattan.

A careful examination of George Bush’s schedule for the day indicates there was a period of several hours during which no one saw him. In a transparent attempt to distract truth-seekers from their mission, the schedule claims it was a ‘sleep period’. /sarc.


18 posted on 05/23/2008 9:14:24 AM PDT by ArmstedFragg
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To: Fry

...and in another little interesting factoid, the company that rebuilt the Pentagon after the fire is the same company that’s building the San Diego hotel that had the explosion last week.


19 posted on 05/23/2008 9:16:35 AM PDT by ArmstedFragg
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To: Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
My understanding is that they both recovered fully from their injuries and returned to work. To be that close to the impact and keep your wits about yourself enough to still do your duty is pretty amazing stuff.

I hate that pop-culture has redefined "hero" into meaning famous. This book is full of people who I'm sure wouldn't call themselves heroes, but should be recognized as such.
20 posted on 05/23/2008 12:58:21 PM PDT by Fry
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