WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Pentagon 9/11 Survivors, In Their Own Words

Play associated audio

With the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks fast approaching, the survivors of the attack on the Pentagon explain in their own words how they have coped with the events of that day and how they remember them today.

John Yates, Army Civilian Employee: "If not for a sheer twist of fate, I would not have been here today. I was standing in the middle of five people and I'm the only one here today."

Tracy Webb, HR Specialist: "At the beginning, I wanted to stay in. I didn't want to leave the house. I didn't want to have contact with people period. That's something I had to work through."

Larry Racster, Chaplain OIC: "There is not a lot to believe in this world that we can touch and see. There's no substance to it -- it's here and gone. But God is always there."

Randy Papadopoulos, Secretariat Historian, Dept. of the Navy: "As a whole, I am surprised at how positive the survivors are."

Listen to the survivors' interviews in full.

NPR

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.
NPR

Inside A Tart Cherry Revival: 'Somebody Needs To Do This!'

The revival is partly based on the humble sour fruit's growing reputation as a superfood. And in Michigan, a scientist is on a quest to introduce a whole new world of hardier, tastier tart cherries by breeding American trees with ancestral varieties from Eastern Europe.
NPR

Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years

The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.
NPR

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.