“The lives of all Americans were forever changed on September 11, 2001”
--Then Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore
On the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, citizens remember the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, acts that changed the life of every American. For 14 ABC special agents assigned to the Alexandria Regional Office, what took place on that day will never be forgotten.
Located only a few minutes away from the Pentagon, they earned the difficult distinction of being one of the first law enforcement groups to arrive on the scene, which one agent described as, “complete pandemonium.” Agents witnessed people running in all directions trying to escape the smoking, battered structure. The overpowering odor of jet fuel hung thickly in the air, mingled with confused, frightened screams. One agent said he felt anger, sadness and shock. He then heard two U.S. military aircraft fly overhead and he suddenly felt pride, in “doing my small part and in being an American.”
Agents assisted with survivor evacuation, transportation of the wounded to the hospitals, evidence collection and traffic control. They also helped with the extremely demanding responsibilities of body retrieval and the creation of a temporary morgue. Working straight through the day and into the evening hours, ABC agents continued rescue and recovery efforts again the next morning and throughout the week.
A team of ABC special agents and other first responders gather near the Pentagon wreckage shortly after the attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Pentagon ruins after the Sept. 11, 2001 attack.
ABC special agents, along with other emergency responders, don hazmat protective clothing before entering the Pentagon in search for sensitive documents, plane parts and bodies.
During “The Governor’s Salute to Virginia’s Heroes” held at the University of Richmond’s Robins Center on Nov. 2, 2001, Governor Gilmore recognized first responders to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. ABC was proudly represented by 14 of the 16 individual awards presented. Pictured are (from left) Front row: Assistant Special Agent in Charge (then Special Agent) Barbara Storm, Special Agent Katie Kelly (then Hudak), Special Agent Steve Hardeman, Governor James Gilmore and his wife, Roxane Gatling Gilmore, Special Agent Darren Hunt, Special Agent Ronald Funkhouser and The Honorable Gary K. Aronhalt, (then Virginia Secretary of Public Safety). Second row: Special Agent David Vinson, Special Agent Robert S. Kehoe, Special Agent Wolfgang H. Gholson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathan H. Holland, II, Special Agent Chris Dillard, Special Agent Stanley M. Meador and Special Agent in Charge Philip G. Disharoon (then Assistant Special Agent in Charge).
Later in the week, the following ABC special agents from the Richmond Regional Office provided perimeter security at the Pentagon: Special Agent P.C. Bowles; Special Agent B.L. McCarthy; Special Agent B.C. Bellows; Special Agent V.T. Hayden; Special Agent L.R. Wright; Special Agent C.G. Wells; Special Agent B.T. Seberle; Special Agent G. Frank; Special Agent M.G. Halphen; and then Special Agent, ASAC T.W. Kirby.
ABC Agents Reflect on September 11
In commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, SAC Phil Disharoon has been invited by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta to attend an Observance Ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. at the Pentagon. Disharoon remembers everyone in the region responding, not only on that day, but in subsequent days the following week. “It is with great pride that I accept this invitation,” he said, “and will honorably represent all who put thoughts of personal safety aside to respond that day and the days following these devastating attacks on our nation.”
“On Sept. 11, 2001,” recalls ASAC (then special agent) Barbara Storm, “there were lots of us in the office because a regional meeting was scheduled. When a Virginia State Police radio ‘call for assistance at the Pentagon’ came in, agents literally dropped what they were doing, went out the back door and took off two to three to a car to find out what we could do. We did not know what we would see or be asked to do; we responded out of a profound sense of duty, pride and the desire to help those in need.
Upon arrival, we went into training mode and helped out wherever duty called. There was a tremendous pulling together of resources and we lost track of each other as we worked on various teams. Even after we arrived at the Pentagon, none of us realized how significant this day was until we got word that a fourth plane (second to attack the Pentagon) was expected. It wasn’t until two or three days afterwards, as we started hearing from family and friends, that the magnitude of this historic day became clear.”
“Before knowing what kind of day September 11, 2001 was going to be,” said Special Agent Katie Kelly, “I remember looking into the sky that morning as I walked to my car and thought the shade of blue was the prettiest…and what a gorgeous day it was. The day and days after will stick with me forever. The grounds of the Pentagon became a town overnight…people from all over the country assisting with various tasks, setting up command centers, tented barracks, mess halls! On day three we had on hazmat suits and were assisting with body recovery inside the Pentagon! It was chaos but we still had to preserve the scene.”
“My day started out just like any other workday on Sept. 11, 2001,” said Special Agent Sy Cheatham. “I proceeded to the Alexandria office, and our meeting was about to begin when we were advised that a plane had just flown into the Pentagon and all available responders were needed at the site. We ran out the rear door of the building, looked in the direction of the Pentagon, and all we could see was a thick cloud of black smoke billowing into the air. Upon our arrival at the Pentagon, there was chaos, with people scrambling to get away from the scene, and first responders moving towards the disaster. We answered the call along with federal and local authorities, a call to aid in a disaster that burned a new chapter in American history.”
ABC Awards
Virginia ABC was honored with three prestigious awards for its service on Sept. 11, 2001:
- 2002 Liquor Law Enforcement Agency of the Year, National Liquor Law Enforcement Association (NLLEA), for being one of the first law enforcement groups to arrive at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and to 14 special agents in particular, for serving as first responders.
- 2001 Declaration of Valor, Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, for serving as "true and valiant Virginia heroes to all victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
- 2001 Commonwealth Valor, Virginia Public Safety Foundation, recognizing "uncommon valor and intrepidity of its personnel in response to the crash of highjacked American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon September 11, 2001."