story20723.xml

story20723.xml

born-digital

story

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2006-09-11

On 9/11/01, I was in the Di-Lorenzo Tri-care Health Clinic in the Pentagon's 8th Corridor. I was a member of the Early Response Teams that rescued all of the survivors of that horrific incident. Members of our clinic received seven Soldiers Medals and numerous other Awards for their heroism and bravery, I was one of those soldiers. Our Medical Clinic was the only teams that laid hands on any of the survivors before any other medical agency. In fact, we really felt a "slap in the face" when Arlington Rescue took ALL of the credit for rescue efforts on that day. Arlington Rescue dispatched ALL of the Ambulances to the South Parking area of the Pentagon, we saw not one Ambulance when trying to get our wounded to the hospitals that were awaiting their arrival. We had to commandeer numerous privately owned vehicles to get them there. Our Medical Teams at the Pentagon deserve the right to be acknowledged as THE PRIMARY RESCUE TEAMS. If it weren't for us, very few if any survivors would have made it. Of course I know that it was not about recognition at the time of the incident but somebody could have thrown us a bone or something. I risked my life numerous times on that day only to have Arlington Rescue on the front page of the Washington Post shaking hands with Michael Jordan and the incaption of "PENTAGON'S RESCUE TEAMS ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THEIR BRAVERY." It made us ill to have to endure the pain of hearing the lie that was told all over the world. I even cornered one of their Captains almost a year later and told him these words. "Hopefully there will never be a next time, but if there ever is, could you please obstain from taking all of the credit and give some to those that deserve it?" I myself rescued 18 people, however this is not about MY accomplishments, this is about my fellow soldiers, airmen, and seamen in the Medical Feild that were there that day and made THE difference of life and death. THEY put their lives on the line and THEY deserve the credit. I never wanted to be on Oprah Winfrey telling my story, I never wanted to be called a "HERO." It's not for me to call myself a hero, it's for others to acknowledge the fact that you are one. Arlington calls themselves the Hero's of the Pentagon's attacks. I assure you that they are regular men and women that showed up at the wrong area of the Pentagon and a little too late I might add. Yes, the area that they put their Ambulances was in the area of the impact, but, we could not reach them as there were no exits to that area. We had to take our wounded to the North Parking area. We desperately searched for Ambulances and found none. I was a Police Officer in Louisanna before I went back into the military and it was my idea to commandeer P.O.V.'s to take our wounded to the local E.R.'s. If it weren't for the good people who allowed themselves to be ordered into a rescue role, there would have been far less survivors. I have no idea if anyone will ever read this, but at least I have put into words what I have felt for far too long. Thank you for at least letting me write these words down and GOD BLESS the soldiers who are still in the fight.