History Of 9/11 Attack On The Pentagon Published

The Department of Defense has announced today that the Historical Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Naval Historical Center and with the assistance of the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps historical offices, has published a detailed, carefully documented history of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.

Copies are available today for sale from the U.S. Government Printing Office at 1-(866) 512-1800 or online at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/pentagon911.jsp. "Pentagon 9/11"is the most comprehensive account to date of the attack and its aftermath, examining both the impact of the deadly assault on the Pentagon building and its occupants and the compelling rescue and recovery effort that followed.

Five authors, led by Office of the Secretary of Defense Historian Alfred Goldberg, worked from more than 1,300 oral history interviews to produce a sweeping narrative in words and pictures, including many previously unpublished photographs, that provides graphic testimony to the scale and force of the attack and the strength and courage of survivors, rescuers, and responders who fought the fires, ensured security, and cared for the dying and injured. Publication of this important volume coincides with the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack.

All Services Meet Active-Duty Recruiting Goals for August

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 10, 2007 - All four services reported strong recruiting success in August, with the Army marking its second consecutive month exceeding its monthly goal, Defense Department officials announced today. The Army topped its August goal by 6 percent, bringing 10,126 new soldiers into the force. The Army made 102 percent of its goal in July. Officials expressed confidence that the consecutive successes mark a turnaround from May and June, when the Army fell short in recruiting.

Army Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, commander of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, attributes much of the rebound to the Army's new "quick-ship" bonus program that provides $20,000 in financial incentives for recruits willing to ship off quickly to basic training.

Bostick told Pentagon reporters last week that it's one of several initiatives the Army has put in place to ensure it meets its fiscal 2007 recruiting goals. He vowed to close any remaining gaps by Sept. 30 to meet the active Army's year-end goal of 80,000 recruits and the Army Reserve's goal of 26,500.

The other services enjoyed strong recruiting months in August, too. The Marine Corps topped its monthly goal by 5 percent, bringing in 4,700 new Marines. The Navy and Air Force both reached their goals, 4,194 and 3,128, respectively.

In the reserve components, the Army Reserve reported a successful August, too, reaching 107 percent of its monthly goal. As it brought in 3,659 recruits, it also exceeded its retention goals for first-termers as well as career soldiers.

"That's remarkable," said Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie, the Army Reserve's top noncommissioned officer. "If you look at the stats for soldiers who have been deployed in the Army Reserve, those retention rates are astronomical, as well. ... We have done a remarkable job of retaining soldiers with combat experience, who have deployed into either Afghanistan or Iraq."

The Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve also exceeded their August goals. The Navy Reserve topped its goal by 13 percent, with 1,122 new recruits, and the Marine Corps Reserve, by 18 percent, with 560 recruits. The Air Force met its goal, recruiting 858 airmen.

The Army National Guard and Air National Guard fell short, 87 and 96 percent, respectively. The Army Guard recruited 5,596 soldiers, and the Air Guard, 1,141 airmen.

National Guard officials noted that despite a slight recruiting shortfall, both components continue to enjoy strong retention numbers. They said this has enabled them to maintain their end-strength goals at 101 and 99 percent, respectively.

Verbal Judo Way of Leadership

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For many years Dr. Thompson has sought to present the Verbal Judo philosophy on leadership in written form. "The Verbal Judo Way of Leadership" is a unique co-authorship between George Thompson, founder and president of The Verbal Judo Institute and VJ instructor/retired "Green Beret" Greg Walker.

This book features exclusive new material on the art of Tactical Communications and the elusive art of superior leadership. Dr. Thompson and Greg Walker combine their diverse professional backgrounds with their shared vision of Verbal Judo concepts to help Peace Officers achieve excellence as law enforcement supervisors, managers, administrators, and beyond. Drawing from Dr. Thompson's street and courtroom proven Verbal Judo philosophy and his co-author's dual careers as an Army Special Forces combat leader and civilian peace officer "The Verbal Judo Way of Leadership –Empowering the Thin Blue Line from the Inside Up" is MUST reading for the 21st Century law enforcement officer, First Responder, and military man or woman intent on achieving true success as a leader in his or her chosen profession.

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Freedom Walk Helps Groups Spread Word

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - As thousands of people filled the Pentagon parking lot at the end of the third America Supports You Freedom Walk today, they were greeted by groups individually working toward the collective goal of supporting troops and their families. Representatives of more than 20 groups that support America Supports You were on hand to let people know what they do for the troops. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The groups, which send care packages and letters, offer support to wounded servicemembers, and assist military families agreed the walk gave them the opportunity to tell the participants how they could support the troops.

"There's a lot of people out there that don't realize that you can write to a servicemember," said Kristen Petrella, president of the New Jersey-based Hugs from Home, a letter-writing group. "We're going to ... let them know that, 'Yes, you can do that.'"

Landstuhl Hospital Care Project, treasurer Sharon Buck, said her group participated for the same reason. "Our purpose today is to hand out pamphlets if people are interested in learning what our mission is," she said.

The project supports the chaplains' center at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, Buck said. Its support arrives at the chaplains' center in the form of a black backpack containing basic necessities that wounded servicemembers may need but not have when they arrive in Germany, such as underwear, T-shirts, toiletries and other needed items.

Another group participating in the post-Freedom Walk activities, Soldiers' Angels, successfully spread the word about its efforts by attracting walkers like Karina Rollins with the opportunity to write a message to the troops. The Washington resident, who plans to "adopt" a servicemember through the group, said supporting the troops is a must for her despite not having any ties to the military.

"I do not have a family member or a friend who is in Iraq, so it's not a personal thing in that sense," Rollins said. "We need to show them that we care about more than getting soy lattes and watching 'American Idol.' We need to show that we understand that there is something very big and important going on."

The support groups and walkers said the Freedom Walk did just that, and has done so since the inaugural event on the fourth anniversary of the attacks.

"We need to keep the memory alive," Carol Watanabe, lead volunteer with Little Patriots Embraced, a Missouri group, said. "It's important to rally the American people and make them understand that we support ... our troops.

"There's nothing more important than our troops knowing that we are standing behind them," she said.

Little Patriots Embraced works to relieve stress on the families of deployed servicemembers through care packages that include teddy bears, writing journals and blankets for newborns, Watanabe said.

Cindi Bookout, president of Operation Homefront's D.C. Metro chapter, agreed that letting troops and their families know they have support is paramount. Her group accomplishes this through chapters in 31 states that provide support to the families of deployed servicemembers.

"The Freedom Walk is important because it lets (servicemembers) know that there are thousands of people all over the United States – not just here in Washington, D.C., but all over the (country) – that support our servicemembers," she said.

With more than 230 walks scheduled to take place between yesterday and Sept. 11, in all 50 states and 10 countries, Americans are doing just that -- thanking those who serve, remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and commemorating the tragic events of six years ago.

This year's America Supports You Freedom Walk began at the Lincoln Memorial and ended with a musical tribute by the Harlem Gospel Choir in the Pentagon's parking lot.

Thousands Commemorate Sept. 11 Anniversary During Freedom Walk

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - In stark contrast to Sept. 11, 2001, when thousands fled the burning Pentagon building, today thousands walked toward it during the third annual America Supports You Freedom Walk honoring those killed in the 9/11 attacks and the nation's veterans, past and present. Thousands assembled early today at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, enjoying a picture-perfect morning reminiscent of the one shattered six years ago during terror attacks at the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center and in Shanksville, Pa.

The crowd represented a cross-section of America -- all ages, races and backgrounds – but shared a common focus as their procession streamed along the mile-and-a-half route from the National Mall to the Pentagon.

Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised the Freedom Walk as a way to recognize not just those killed on Sept. 11, but also those who have suffered since then preserving the freedoms attacked that day.

"This demonstrates that there is still great recognition of all the military people and civilians who have supported this effort, and the contributions and sacrifices they have made," he said.

"It's become a great tradition," agreed Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter. "We're gathered here to mark the memory of those lost on 9/11 and since in the conflict, and to show the consolidated support."

Retired Army Lt. Col. Deborah Ivory was among the many participants who have sacrificed personally. Her soldier husband, Sgt. Maj. Lacey Ivory, was killed during the Pentagon attack.

"My husband died a horrible death, so whenever there is a way for me to honor my husband and his memory, I will participate," Ivory said as she pushed her grandmother's wheelchair along the route.

Ivory said her family, all sporting buttons with her late husband's smiling face, find comfort as they take part in the annual Freedom Walk. "The fact that everyone has come together to honor the fallen really warms my heart," she said. "The first time I did it, I cried the whole time. It's all been so healing for me."

Army Capt. Kent Solheim, his leg elevated in a wheelchair and a Purple Heart pinned to his T-shirt, called his first Freedom Walk an important way to honor troops killed or wounded battling terrorism.

"We can never forget this," said Solheim, a special operator from Fort Bragg, N.C., being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for four gunshot wounds he suffered in Iraq in late July. "It's paramount that we always remember those killed on Sept. 11, who paid the price, and all those who have paid the price since." He's said it's particularly important to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. "They're the real heroes," he said.

Propelling his own wheelchair throughout the route, Solheim said events like the Freedom Walk ensure that the country never forgets what happened on Sept. 11, and pass those memories on to future generations. "If we don't do this stuff now, how are our kids going to know what happened?" he asked.

As they gathered to begin today's walk, participants waved flags as Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told them the only reason terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11 was that they didn't know how to kill more. The crowd cheered when England told them the United States will do "whatever we need to do to protect and defend our freedoms and our liberties."

England and Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, led the Freedom Walk participants past the Lincoln Memorial and across Memorial Bridge, where sunlight sparkled on the Potomac River below.

Gainey's wife, Cindy, walked at his side as she observed her birthday today. "I asked her how she wanted to celebrate, and this is what she wanted to do," Gainey said of his wife.

Cindy Gainey said she could think of no better way to spend her special day than recognizing what the troops do for the country.

"You hear a lot about support for the troops, but actions speak louder than words. People here are showing their support and demonstrating that they appreciate our military," she said. "This validates everything that they are doing."

While recognizing the freedoms servicemembers are protecting, Command Sgt. Maj. Gainey said, the Freedom Walk helps maintain focus on what he called this generation's Pearl Harbor.

"Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen recognize more than anyone that that day changed our lives forever," he said. "This is another way of reminding people that we can never forget what happened that day."

Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Paul McGinnis led a formation of 37 Navy Sea Cadets across Memorial Bridge into Virginia. The group, calling cadence as it marched, has participated in the Freedom Walk every year since it started in 2004. "We believe in it, we believe in what it's honoring, and we believe in the importance of remembering what happened on 9/11," he said. "It will happen again if we don't."

Approaching Arlington National Cemetery, with Lee Mansion standing majestically overhead, Army Sgt. Larry Miller pushed a stroller with his two children, Jacob, 5, and Kyla, 4. With his wife, Holly, at his side, Miller said the Freedom Walk is particularly meaningful to him because he was serving at nearby Fort Meade, Md., on 9/11, has deployed to Iraq, and hails from New York.

"It's personal for me," said Miller, a medic now stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va. "I wanted to be here because this is a good event and a good cause."

Equally important, he said, the Freedom Walk offers a reminder to people whose lives have returned to normal since 9/11 that their armed forces remain on guard, protecting the freedoms that were attacked that day. "A lot of people outside the military don't realize what we do on an everyday basis," Miller said. "This helps remind them."

Passing the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, Marine Corps Capt. Chad Carbone carried his 2-year-old son, Nathan, on his shoulders. At his side walked 11-year-old nephew Hayden, whose father, Maj. Dave Bardorf, is at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif., preparing for his third deployment to Iraq.

"He's out there risking his life for us," said Hayden of his father. "This shows that we're supporting him."

Support for the military is nothing new for the Bardorf family. Hayden's mother, Rene Bardorf, who also walked today, helped found the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund for families of Marines and sailors wounded during combat or training. Young Hayden helped set up and run a lemonade stand at Quantico, Va., to raise money for the project.

"We're walking as a family because we all recognize the importance of showing our support," said Carbone, who served at Quantico, Va. "We're all here to support the cause."

As the procession approached the Pentagon, Army Sgt. Michael Halmon and Staff Sgt. Curtis Taylor, both Iraqi war veterans from the 55th Sustainment Brigade at Fort Belvoir, Va., reflected on the message the Freedom Walk sends to the men and women in uniform.

"This shows that we remember the people killed on 9/11 and support our fallen comrades," said Halmon, his children Rachael and Lafayette at his side.

It also sends a message to children that the lessons of Sept. 11 can never be forgotten, Taylor said. "It's important for kids to remember, too. This is a part of history. It's something we can never forget."

Nearing the Pentagon parking lot, Department of Agriculture employee Gloria Chance hoisted an "Agriculture" sign, one of several denoting various federal agency employee groups participating in the Freedom Walk.

Chance said she rarely misses church on a Sunday morning, but considered today's Freedom Walk a worthy exception. "Being here is my Christian duty and my civic duty," she said.

"It's so important that we as a country embrace the freedoms we have and recognize that Sept. 11 was a direct assault against all of us," she said. "We need to remember that so it doesn't ever happen again -- because when you forget the past, that's when it comes right back at you."

Navy Airman Zachary Reich and his wife, Nicole, streamed past a giant American flag hanging from the side of the Pentagon building, reminiscent of the flag hung six years ago, hours after the Sept. 11 attack.

Nicole, nine months pregnant and expecting to give birth to her son, Boston, "any time now," said she considers the Freedom Walk an important first lesson for her son that she plans to reinforce throughout his life.

"I'll be able to tell him that he was a part of this and what it all meant," she said, looking down at the belly bulging beneath her Freedom Walk T-shirt. "Hopefully this will help motivate him so he can go out and do his part, too, to support his community and his country."

As the Freedom Walk participants finished their walk at the Pentagon parking lot, they sipped water and clapped to the sounds of the Harlem Gospel Choir and the Army Field Band's Jazz Ambassadors.

Kelly Wright, co-anchor of Fox & Friends Weekend and a former Army sergeant, served as emcee at the closing concert. Wright noted the appropriateness of starting the Freedom Walk in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, which honors a man who knew how precious freedom is, and how high its cost is.

Equally symbolic, he said, was its ending point, just steps from the site where 184 lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11, 2001, he said. Wright told the group he hopes their participation in the Freedom Walk serves as an inspiration and a reminder of the lessons of 9/11.

"The Freedom Walk celebrates our freedom and reminds us of the sacrifice that's been made – and continues to be made," he said.

Brooks and Dunn, Toyota Salute Troops

By Willard Thomas
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - More than 50 servicemembers not only enjoyed front-row seats at a Brooks and Dunn concert here last night, but also were guests at a backstage reception where they got a handshake and the personal thanks of the country music giants. The tab for this special recognition event was picked up by Toyota Motor Sales USA, who invited the troops as part of becoming a corporate supporter of "America Supports You," a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families serving at home and abroad.

The servicemembers topped off the evening as on-stage guests of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. The singers saluted them and all their military teammates with the song they use to end all of their concerts: "Only in America."

The host for the event was Don Esmond, Toyota's senior vice president of automotive operations, who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

Toyota's affiliation with America Supports You is an expansion of an on-going commitment to troop support. The automaker already was involved with programs such as Hire-A-Hero, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and the Camp Pendleton Concert Series.

"We have a civic duty to keep our troops top of mind as they defend our freedoms, and Toyota is happy to help bring the America Supports You message to the public through these key, grassroots partnerships," Esmond said.

Brooks and Dunn also are supporters of "America Supports You," along with hundreds of other corporations and organizations.

(Willard Thomas is a retired Marine artillery officer who is a freelance writer for military publications and is writing a book about war.)

Thousands Take Part in America Supports You Freedom Walk

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 9, 2007 - In the shadow of the Washington Monument and under the watchful eyes of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial, some 8,000 participants gathered at the National Mall here to walk in the third annual America Supports You Freedom Walk. America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families, hosted the event to honor past and present servicemembers and to remember victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In addition to the Freedom Walk here, 230 similar walks are occurring in cities around the world.

Looking upon the throngs of people gathered on the mall, many of whom donned red, white and blue attire, Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became overwhelmed with emotion.

"I'm not usually an emotional guy. I'm not a crier," he told American Forces Press Service . "But right now when I'm looking around, I'm crying inside and I'm being truthful with you. I never could be prouder to be American than right now.

"This walk shows that the people in the airplanes, in the (World Trade Center) towers and in the Pentagon did not die in vain, and the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines dying now are not dying in vain," Gainey continued. "Don't let this be a one-day walk. Every time you're walking, and you see a veteran or someone you think is a (servicemember), stop and thank them."

Speaking to participants who lined the reflecting pool before the walk, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England said America has been blessed with 230 years of freedom and liberty.

"But that is not an unalienable right that we have," England said. "It is something that needs to be protected and cherished and fought for by every single generation, and we are blessed that we have brave Americans every day that go forth and protect our freedom and liberty and have done so for these 230 years."

England told the crowd that the terrorists, who perpetrated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and claimed nearly 3,000 lives, would have inflicted greater harm if possible. Such enemies continue to plot attacks against innocent Americans, he said. "So this is a day of reflection, it's a day of remembrance, but it's also a day of commitment...that we will do whatever we need to do to protect and defend our freedoms and our liberties," he added.

After England's remarks, thousands of hands made their way over people's hearts when Army Spc. Vicki Golding, from the Washington National Guard's 457th Army Band, sang a soulful rendition of the National Anthem. Heads bowed in unison as an Army chaplain led the audience in prayer for terrorist attack victims, and servicemembers who have fought and died for their country in past wars and current operations.

"I go back to the Vietnam-era, and to see the support we get from the public now versus what it was in the Vietnam-era is incredible," said Freedom Walk participant Army Col. Wayne Woodard. "For me to see the transition is just unbelievable."

Woodard works as a member of the Joint Staff, whose office is at the Pentagon where the Freedom Walk concludes. "If I have a chance to contribute to others who are less fortunate than me, in terms of them being away from home and me being home, any time I can show support I view that as a great opportunity," he said.

The Air Force band struck up John Phillip Sousa's "The Washington Post March" as walkers began ambling next to the reflecting pool. The walk route would take participants next to the Lincoln Memorial and over the Memorial Bridge en route to the Pentagon.
For Air Force Capt. Robert Acosta, participating in today's walk helped him preserve the memory of Sept. 11, 2001, victims, and to show support for deployed troops serving abroad.

"When we come together collectively as one, I think it demonstrates not only to our troops overseas, but the rest of the world, that we care," he said. "It's important that we stand together in times like this to really push forward our togetherness."