the pentagon. the pentagon was patched up and completely repaired within a year and it was as if, almost nothing had happened. there was not a lot of public controversy about what should we do with the memorial, you know, lingering, should we rebuild? the pentagon just got fixed your so it kind of went out of our consciousness and we are finding, almost have to remind people that there was an attack at the pentagon as well, as in new york on 9/11 and, of course, we're not going to forget about united 93 that crashed. what we want to do is talk about, quickly talk about a few other things that interested us in this story, and we will talk about, read a few passages in the to ask questions, it would be better than probably listening to us. one of the things that interested me is just how much confusion and chaos there was at the beginning. nobody knew what was going on. there were eyewitnesses had seen the plane hit the building, but the firefighters didn't know what had happened. they just knew that

and then you have inside the pentagon most of the pentagon had evacuated, but you have the war planners and the operational people and the fact in a national military command center, who just didn't work. of all the days come and this was not the date they were about to leave their desks. see what firefighters outside in the fire chiefs that everybody was out of the building. they figured surely they've got some backup plan down the street, where they just moved the command-and-control operations that we can get in there and fight the fire. that wasn't the case. defense secretary and as people stayed in the building and the national military command center, which was the nerve center of the pentagon if you will begin to fill with smoke. there was talk inside the nmc feed about having to evacuate. they were worried about carbon monoxide levels. they said we are not leaving this building. he did declare that the pentagon is open for business. but that was news to the fire chiefs for a while. and in the middle of the day on 9/11, a colonel from the joint staff went and found the fire chief

there in front of the pentagon. not far from the location, impact point there, at the pentagon where that flight crashed into it. right now being marked by a huge american flag on the side of the pentagon building. he laid the wreath there and then there was also a moment of silence. and then earlier today, a very different mood taking place. right now seemingly a little jovial, perhaps a real sense of an exhale after a very heavy day. many of the family members excite there had to see the president and first lady. earlier today a very somber setting. the vice president of the united states, joe biden, with these remarks. >> al qaeda and bin laden never imagined that the 3,000 people who lost their lives that day would inspire 3 million to put on the uniform and harden the resolve of 300 million americans. they never imagined the sleeping giant they were about to awaken. they never imagined these things because they did not understand what enables us, what has always enabled us to withstand any test that comes our w

at the pentagon as we prepare for the moment of silence, 9:37 when flight 77 crashed into the pentagon. >> ♪ ♪... but now i see ♪ it was grace that taught my hearto see ♪ ♪ and grace released ♪ how precious did that grace appear ♪ ♪ the hour i first believed ♪ through many dangers ♪ toils and snares ♪ i have already come ♪ 'tis grace that brought me safe thus far ♪ ♪ and grace will lead me home ♪ the lord has promised good to me ♪ ♪ his word my hope secures ♪ he will my shield and portion be... ♪ ♪ as long as life endures ♪ amazing grace ♪ how sweet the sound ♪ that saved a wretch like me ♪ i once was lost ♪ but now am found ♪ was blind but now i see ♪... >> ladies and gentlemen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral michael mullens. >> mr. vice president, mr. secretary, distinguished guests, and most especially, families, friends and loved ones of those killed near this spot on this day, back in 2001. good morning, and welcome. let me begin by offering on behalf of the 2.2 million men and women who wear the uniform of

job at the pentagon. one of her brand new coworkers came to her ask and ask ed, did you hear? two planes have hit the world trade center. >> ten seconds later, i heard a whistling, like a whistling sound and a rumble. >> reporter: this time, it was the pentagon. and sheila was soon in a ball of fire. and then, a voice. >> and he was saying, is there anybody in there? i said, yes, we're here, we're here. >> reporter: and so she started to clap, hoping he could follow the sound. he extinguished the flames between them and pulled her out. his hand was out to you? >> his hand was out to m m yeah. >> reporter: ten years later, she shows me her hands, the burn scars. a small price, she says, to have survived to see her first granddaughter. there was another blessing that emerged after the two towers fell. a tiny miracle on stairwell b in the north tower. a flight of stairs somehow, still standing. captain jay jonas and his men inside that stairwell. >> all of a sudden, a beam of sunshine broke through the dust.

93 to right here in the pentagon. those in this building that day knew what they were witnessing. there was a declaration of war by stateless actors, bent on changing our way of life. who believed that these horrible acts, these horrible acts of terror directed against citizens could buckle our knees, could bend our will, to begin to break us, to break our resolve. but they did not know us. instead, that same american instinct that sent all of you into the breach between the fourth and fifth corridors, galvanize an entire new generation of patriots. the 9/11 generation. many of them were just kids on that bright september morning, but like their grandparents, on december 7, 1941, they courageously bore the burden that history had placed on their shoulders. and as they came of age, they showed up. they showed up to fight for their country. and they are still showing up. 2,800,000 of that 9/11 generation moved to join our military since the attacks on 9/11. to finish the war begun here that day. and they joined, they jo

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in the afternoon the president of the united states will come over here to the pentagon as well. that hearn airlines flight 77 that took off from dulles, right outside of washington, 8:20 a.m. it was on its way to los angeles, to l.a.x. it made an unexpected u-turn as we all know, hijacked by five terrorists, al qaeda terrorists and crashed into the pentagon behind me at 9:37 a.m. that's when there will be a moment of silence. there were 125 victims on board -- at the pentagon i should say, 59 people were on board. in addition there were the five hijackers, 184 victims of this terrorist attack, exactly ten years ago today. there will be a very moving ceremony, the u.s. military, the army and the navy will be performing renditions of "amazing grace," "battle hymn of the republic" and we'll hear from the vice president of the united states. so many of those family members who survived so many of the victims' family members will be here as well. there's a memorial, a series of benches, honoring all those who died here at the pentagon ten years ago on this very day. we'll be watching

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

that is what i take away from the pentagon memorial and the 9/11 piece of the pentagon display at the smithsonian. >> what does that mean for you and why did the navy seals compelled to have these two vessels? >> we named our ships after great battles, a great leaders, a great locations, significant locations and events in our nation's history. to have something tangible to inspire. part of a crew that is something to remind you of the greatness of our nation and our people. our ability to respond to challenges and overcome. i am very proud of all of our ships and all of our sailors and i'm especially proud to have the uss new york and the uss arlington. >> when you went to bed early in the morning on september 12, first of all, did you go to bed? did you get some sleep? >> i could not sleep. it was too much to think about. to many people to think about and try to remember to call or write a note. there was lots to do. i took a shower and got to it. >> what was racing through your head? " uncertainty about my friend, but certain date. uncertainty about what to do next, how to help, wh

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

they placed wreaths, on the pentagon bench, one of the 134 victims. michael novo was working on the floor when flight 77 hit the pentagon. >> it's ten years and i just start crying. a parent should not bury a child. >> an american flag is draped over the pentagon just as it was in the days following the attacks. vice-president i don't biden and defense sect leon panetta led the morning tribute to the victims. >> the terrorists who attacked the pentagon sought to weaken america, but they failed. >> reporter: bells tolled 175 miles away, after family and friends read the names of each perp who died when flight 93 crashed in shanksville, pennsylvania. earlier in the day, the president and first lady met with families of the 40 victims. and walked to the boulder that marks the spot where passengers helped bring down the plane. pentagon officials highlighted the contributions of american men and women since 9/11, saying millions have volunteered for military service, since the attacks. in arlington, virginia, daniel nottingham, cbc 5. >>> well those who di

along with the pentagon are doing everything that they can to instill fear deep in the hearts of every american about this second round of cuts potentially hitting the d.o.t. i'll make sure that they'll never actually happened and boy are they go to that fear mongering to say washington d.c. politicians doing what they do best scaring the daylights out of people they do it all the time let's take a look at some of these rather apocalyptic scenarios that they've laid out for us we're going to go with representative mark thornberry he's on the house armed services and intelligence committees and vice chairman of the subcommittee of

. >> i've been at the pentagon when the plane hit, i was evacuated with everyone else at the pentagon. >> i think what i recall more than anything that day, looking across and seeing the smoke rising from the pentagon all day, and then seeing fighter jets go down to potomac river. >> i could see all these military boats patrolling the river, i got into downtown washington. there were tanks and armored personnel carriers and uniformed troops on the corners. i never thought of washington, d.c., my home town, as being a war zone. >> we saw this incredible system of triage being set up along the highway outside the pentagon. but as the hours ticket by, it was clear that it wasn't needed because everyone was either able to walk away or they were dead. >> for the first time in my life, i never felt it before, never since, the highest levels of the united states government were caught completely flat footed, doesn't know what was happening, had no idea what was coming next, and in ways that i found very disturbing then and still now, had the same look of dread i had on my face. what's next?

to get all the the the pentagon. i thought, i've seen this story before. this looks just like what robert mcnamara was going through as he tried to assert civilian control over the pentagon under president kennedy. there were so many similarities, both men were very self confident, not arrogant. both men were corporate ceos who wanted to bring business practices in to the pentagon. both republicans. both elevated outsiders as they took over office and ignored a lot of the insiders, causing a lot of unrest. both tried to muzzle dissent. both of them created new processes that would allow them to a centralized their authority in the pentagon. there were some -- zero, and both of them, although there were in the defense department, were very active in foreign policy and probably dominated the state department of their time. now, those were the similarities. there were a couple of differences. secretary mcnamara was a political neophyte. rumsfeld has served in congress. nakamura had not even that john kennedy before he w

was at his massive desk at the pentagon when the planes struck there. >> the building shook at the pentagon. we had been hit. i didn't know if it was a bomb or an airplane or what. so i went out of my office and ran down the hall until the smoke was so bad that you couldn't get any farther. i went downstairs and outside. there on the apron outside the pentagon there were just thousands of pieces of metal. small pieces not big chunks of an airplane. >> schieffer: if i remember, you actually helped some of the first responders to get people on the gurneys. >> well, at that point the first responders hadn't gotten there. these were just people from the pentagon who came out and starred helping and bringing people out of a burning building. the flames were leaping up. and the smoke. at that mopt, i just gave somebody a hand and then when the first responders did come in, i went back to my office and got about my business. >> schieffer: i thought one of the more interesting things is you did not close down the pentagon that day. why was that? >> it was clear they had hit the seat of economic pow

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

this is the area that had to be rebuilt, the point of impact at the pentagon. president bush is expected to take part in ceremonies throughout the weekend. this is just one in d.c., but the other in new york that so many eyes will be on tomorrow because so many lives were lost there, the former president expected there as well. this is what many people have been waiting to get an eye on. this has been in the process for literally ten years. and now ten years after the 9/11 attacks, that is one of two reflecting pools. this is the official 9/11 memorial which will be dedicated officially tomorrow. but will be open to the public starting on september 12th. they wanted to have this ready on the ten-year anniversary. indeed, they do. you're seeing one there. these are the footprints of the twin towers. this is where they stood at one point. but now you have the reflecting pools there. as mentioned, president bush will be in new york for the ceremony. president obama will be there as well. today, though, he had a message for the world as we come up on the 9/11 anniv

again, from the pentagon. jim, of course, there's news from one of those fronts again today. >> reporter: that's right. a grim reminder that the war in afghanistan still goes on. a massive truck bomb exploded at a coalition base just outside of kab kabul, wounding 77 nato forces, most of them american. fortunately, the injuries were only minor. but it's a grim reminder, too, and the u.s. military and pentagon officials are well aware that this war has dragged on for ten years. america's patience, money, and, in fact, is running out. and so the u.s. military has -- has buckled down to meet president obama's 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of all american troops. which means, according to military officials, they only have three more years, brian, to get it right. >> jim miklaszewski at the pentagon ten years later. thanks. >>> "nightly news" will continue from ground zero here in new york in just a moment. you could save a bundle with geico's multi-policy discount. geico, saving people money on more than just

the -- draped over the pentagon as it was in the days following the attack. vice president joe biden and defense secretary leon pinetta read the morning tribute to the victim. the terrorists who attacked the pentagon sought to weaken america by shattering this defining symbol of our military might and prowess. but they failed. >> reporter: bells tolled 175 miles away after family and friends read the names of each person who died when flight 93 crashed in shapingsil -- shanksville, pennsylvania. earlier in the day, the president and first lady visited the newly dedicated 9/11 memorial there, met with families of the 40 victims and walked to the boulder that marks the spot where pearls helped bring down the -- marks the spot where passengers helped brig down the plane. >> those who died on flight 93 were remembered in a special simon net bay area today. -- special ceremony in the bay area today. [ indiscernible ] >> his of people gath -- hundreds of people gathered to observe the heros on the flight and their sacrifice. his wife was on the flight. >> reporter:

i have to start by asking you where you were when the plane crashed into the pentagon. >> by the time the plane did the pentagon, i was in this command center where several senior officials and i were trying to connect with their colleagues at the various agencies, get more information. secretary ron salad was still in his office. -- rumsfeld was still in his office. we felt this enormous thump. that was the plane hitting the pentagon. >> did you realize immediately what had happened? were you kind of thinking, the pentagon is such a symbolic building, we might be next? >> we verso focused on the task at hand -- we were so focused on the task at hand. and try to prevent further attacks. you were not thinking about yourself. we were not thinking about the building. when i felt it and fired the explosion, i was not completely surprised. >> i was at the pentagon after the plane went end. i remember talking to soldiers who were visibly shaking. the american military would have to change. whether discussions about that in the days that followed? -- were there discussions about that in the

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

way there at the pentagon. i know this is a day that comes with mixed feelings for you as well because 9/11 is also your birthday. as you were in the pentagon on that tragic day ten years ago, there just have to be a lot of things that flood through you on a day like today. >> you know, they do but as a journalist covering the military for cnn, what really sticks is the name and faces of the troops i have met over the years, their families and the sacrifices that they have made. 9/11 proved i think, fredericka, to be just the first link in a long chain of honor service dignity, grace, whatever you want to call it on the part of the troops that have served in the war zone. their service goes on often unrecognized day after day, week after week. we are awaiting the president. he will lay a wreath here and some of the ceremonies at least for this year will draw to a close but we will always remember. barbara starr, thanks so much. >>> ten years since al qaeda's attacks on the united states and ten years since the

into the pentagon. we do want to take a quick break. we'll be right back. >>> a memorial was dedicated at the pentagon in 2008, and the memory of 184 people who died there on september 11th. -i love this card. -with the bankamericard cash rewards credit carar we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. it's 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. that's 1% cash back on oscar. ...tony. oscar! 2% back on whatever she'll eat. 3% back on filling up this baby. [ male announcer ] now get 1-2-3 percent t ash back. it's that simple. [ male announcer ] apply online or at a bank of america near you. we're talking 3% back on gas. vo: a breakfast worth waking up for. enjoy the sausage, egg and cheese croissan'wich today. only at burger king. on a recent trip to france we discovered the inspiration for a totally new yogurt. activia selects french yogurt. so silky and smooth with lots of juicy fruit. it was a grueling trip! trtrnew activia selec

pentagon on the other side. he had just gotten off the phone with his wife. >> i swear, i thought she was dead. i just had that feeling that she was dead. >> reporter: he realized she was alive when he reunited with her after escaping the burning building. >> i realize that everyone that died in the pentagon has a family. and it made it real to me that that was -- that it was different, at that moment, it was different. >> reporter: colonel david kumar was thinking about his 5 and 2-year-old children when he began carrying out the toddlers at the pentagon day care. >> what was painful was the thoughts that went through my head that perhaps some of those children's parents had perished. >> reporter: for captain jason gracin, the pain of 9/11 was different. he had to leave his pregnant wife to identify the pentagon bodies. >> i was the one who was taking all the x-rays on all the victims and trying to match dental records. the toughest part was at the end of the day, they would take the victims that were ready to

a live look at the pentagon. president obama will lay a wreath at the memorial there tonight and speak at a concert. a concert for hope at the kennedy center. now of course there has been some anxiety here in the nation's capitol at the possibility of another attack. washington, d.c. police say reports of suspicious vehicles are up and we have seen capitol police conducting searches here in the senate park behind us. so far it does not appear anything has turned up related to a terrorist threat. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> time now 7:21. at least 80 american soldiers are wounded and two afghan civilians are dead after a womaning. that attack happened yesterday on the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. it was carried out by a suicide bomber that detonated a large bomb inside a truck carrying firewood. the taliban has claimed responsibility for that attack. war protestors plan what they call a different commemoration of 9/11. hundreds of activists will gather on bot

he attended a memorial at the pentagon. earlier he walked the fields of shanksville, pennsylvania remembering the 40 lost there and he began at a ceremony at ground zero where 2,753 people were killed. the first lady and president and mrs. bush walked with him during the service. mr. obama gave a reading from the bible. tonight, he spoke at a concert for hope at the kennedy center in washington, d.c. ♪ >> join us later in the broadcast when we look back on this full day of remembrance. the moments to remember. we'll show you how our nation paid its respects. we want to listen now to the president earlier tonight in washington. >> in the decades since, much has changed for americans. we have known war and recession, passionate debates and political divides. we can never get back the lives we lost that day or the americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the wars that followed. today it is worth remembering what has not changed -- our character as a nation has not changed. our faith in god and in each other. that has not

barbara starr at the pentagon. david mattingly in shanksville, pennsylvania, and athena jones in washington. we begin with poppy harlow who joins us live from the top of the two world financial center in new york. poppy, tell me more about the perspective there. >> reporter: you know, it's been interesting to watch this, fredricka. all day since 8:00 this morning when the ceremony began, of course president barack obama here along with president bush and both of the first ladies, the current and former, speaking to this audience. but it was interesting. it wasn't about politics. it wasn't about parties. it was all about the people that were being remembered. i'm standing right above just the glorious memorial that was opened for the first time, fredricka, just a few hours ago. family members let in for the first time to see the two massive pools and the names of each and every victim. a loved one to many of these people etched out. and it was interesting. what really stood out to me is that the family members after

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

, the apron around the pentagon were thousands of pieces of metal. little pieces, not like that plane stayed together. the plane just was pieces everywhere. and people coming out with burns, and people going in and helping them out. i ran into a lieutenant colonel who said to me he saw an airplane hit the pentagon. i had no idea if it was a bomb or what had happened. but it was a day we'll all remember. throughout our lives, and after a decade, certainly we remember those who were killed and their families and their friends and what a terrible, terrible day for america. >> and you can watch fareed's entire interview with donald rumsfeld airing here on cnn tomorrow, 1:00. >>> all right. president barack obama has declared a state of emergency in texas. it frees up federal funding for wildfires scorching bastrop county. blazes have destroyed almost 1,400 homes since wildfires started there about a week ago. >>> let's check with our jacqui jeras. still very dry, maybe some wind, as well, too? that's making it very difficult for those battling the blaze.

, and now for the attack on the pentagon in washington, d.c. this year, we will hear the bell tolled six times. [bell tolling] [bell tolling] [bell tolling] [moment of silence] >> there are those who say the freedom of man is nothing but a dream, well that are right. it is the american dream. in 1941, president franklin delano roosevelt to find for the world of the four freedoms on which the american dream is based. the first is freedom of speech and expression. everywhere in the world. the second is the freedom of every person to worship god in his or her own way everywhere in the world. the third is freedom from want everywhere in the world. the fourth is freedom from fear anywhere in the world. that is our goal. our strength is in our unity of purpose. to that high concept, there can be no and save a victory. -- no end save victory. >> my name is james smith, retired police officer. five years ago, with my daughter at my side, i told you about my wife and patricia's mother. we ran into the towers time and time again to save as many people as

within the pentagon that the pentagon didn't have before and was not considered appropriate for the pentagon to have before. >> narrator: buried deep inside the pentagon bureaucracy, rumsfeld anointed jsoc with power and money. >> macgregor: one of the reasons that secretary rumsfeld became very enamored of special operations forces was the readiness of special operations forces to deploy and do what they were asked to do, whereas the army presented resistance. >> narrator: jsoc began a systematic series of capture and targeted killing operations. one by one, they aimed for al qaeda leaders wherever they found them. ( explosions ) using conventional war authorities, they did it all with less oversight than the cia. >> clarke: so, in the past, covert action was done by cia, the president had to approve covert action and notify the congress. now, a lot of what looks like the same sort of thing-- covert action-- is done by jsoc. now, they say when they do it, it's not covert action; it's a military operation. so the president does not by law have to approve every operation, and the int

to hear reports of the explosion at the pentagon. i knew in my heart that was that aircraft. >>> it was instantaneous, a loud noise the lights went out, everything black, heavy smoke, debris piled on top of me. i'm pinned in my chair at my desk. >> as i came closer this pile of debris i saw what looked like a face. couldn't be a live person then i thought i saw it wink or blink. i yelled for help. from outside came lt. commander tarantino. >> it feels like a furnace. couldn't believe there is anyone alive. i saw captain thomas who was trying to pull debris. i looked to by side and i saw mr. hinson, 10 feet away. inside this kind of cave of debris, already my uniform is starting to melt, my shoes are starting to melt. i'm really eager for him to get out of there and go. he says he can't budge. out of desperation, i laid on my back under him and put my feet up on the debris over his head and i leg pressed, as hard as i could. >> me pushing with my back against this pile and him pushing up with his legs he managed to get most of the deb

blast shake the pentagon. coming here makes me sad on the one hand. it also makes me angry. our country will however, not be cowed by terrorists. >> he was thoughtful and determined and had resolve that the united states would lean forward and not lean back. that we would not go along the path of the prior administration treating terrorism as a criminal matter. indicting people in absentia. and he resolved that the only way to deal with that was not to play defense, but to play offense. >> in new york city, the reflecting absence memorials have open to the families of those lost that day. we will continue to cover as the names continue to be read of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. >> on september 11th, u.s. army captain was working as a stockbroker at the world trade center. where they stand on the site that you were just taking a look at. when the planes hit amidst all the chaos he ran inside tower one helping people escape to safety. he himself way a victim after tower one collapsed, burying him in alive. w

pentagon, did you feel the impact? was there a huge shudder? because people talk about the pentagon and the miles of corridor? >> that is right. there is a huge building and where the plane hit the pentagon and where i was sitting on the air for the "today" show, it is around the corner, but around the corner in this building is a couple of hundred yards as the crow flies, but even then when i looked back at katy curic on the air and i heard a loud thunk, and i looked out and people were running from the building and i reported immediately that there was an explosion here, but it took me a while to figure out and find out that it was in fact a plane that struck the building. interestingly enough, in talking to a defense intelligence ofi official here in the building about 30 minutes before of the plane struck the pentagon, we were talking about the attacks up there in new york, and he said, look, it has to be al qaeda, because it was so well planned, and he said, it was so well coordinated if i were you, i would stay o

we got off the air force one. we just heard the plane hit the pentagon. the fourth plane went down, the initial report was near camp david. of course it turned out to be pennsylvania. at that moment we were told there were six unidentified aircraft who did not respond to the signal to land. we thought six aircraft in the skies were missiles. not only to the president say yes to give the order to shoot down. he said that to the secretary. he also later on in that same conversation the order was given to go to defcon three for the first time since 1973. that is how serious the stakes were. now we can look back and say it it was just four planes. at that moment we thought there were six more. people were being told across the country that there was a car bomb at the state department. no one knew the full extent of this. >> what kind of authority did the president need at that moment that he didn't have. >> i remember him, as we handled the instant transcript of the president's directive was standing in the situation room. one of the military personnel that m

ten years ago this was the area where the pentagon press corps was working. that morning, we'd been watching the attacks unfold in new york. i came out in this hallway and suddenly there was a pentagon policeman coming from that direction, running down this hallway yelling "get out, get out! everybody get out! we've been hit! get out." american airlines flight 77 slammed into the pentagon. by the time i made my way from my office down there to this part of the hallway it was full of people, we could smell the smoke. hundreds of people coming into this hallway, coming down the stairs from the upper floors, coming up the stairs from the basement. the doors had closed shut due to the security alert, so it took a few minutes for them to open them and for people to begin to make their way out to safety. this entire side of the pentagon was a wall of flame and black smoke. i remember seeing people coming out of the wreckage where the plane had hit, some covered in blood, trying to mike their way to safety, hundreds of workers had gathered over here, at one point be

according to the charging document the targets were the pentagon and u.s. capitol. officials say his travel took pictures of the pentagon and capitol and also took pictures of east potomac park in washington. just south of the mall where according to the affidavit he planned to launch the model planes filled with explosives. according to federal officials, he also planned a ground attack. planned to bring other people into the operation and people armed with automatic weapons who would then fire on people as they tried to evacuate those buildings. but we have to stress one very important point. a u.s. law enforcement official cnn spoke with said there was no danger to the public since undercover operatives were involved very early on. this official also says that there's no information that he was connected to a foreign terrorist group but believe his intent was very clear. according to the affidavit, a cooperating witness once asked him why he wanted to blow up the pentagon. the document says he responded "that is the target to eliminate and terrify all enemies of

president of the pentagon memorial fund, jim lacheck, who lost his brother, dave, in the pentagon. [applause] >> as we commemorate that fateful september here in the united states, we must remember that citizens of more than 90 nations perished that day. they came to build better lives for themselves, their children, their loved ones. they were members of many races and many religions. monsignor lorenzo albaseti wrote, here there were jews, christians, buddhists, muslims, atheists. there were rich, there were poor, there were c.e.o.'s, there were waiters, there were newlyweds, there were widowers. it was humanity, an affirmation of human dreams, of human ambition, of human desire, of the hope of human progress. ♪ >> i think there's a lot of hope the world will continue to come together and focus on what be done to bring all religious faiths and all nations together. >> i think america is a beacon of hope. it doesn't have to be 9/11, although that's probably one of the best examples. americans always are full of heart and will do whatever they can to help people all around the wor

report highlighting pentagon waste and how that is just a drop in the bucket the one trillion dollars the pentagon can count for for speaking about that with an even playing author of state versus defense the battle to find america some type. of internet only military mechanisms to do the work to bring justice or. i have every right to know what my government should do if you want to know why i pay taxes. well i would characterize obama as a charismatic. of american exceptionalism. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so please if you understand it and then something else here's some other part of it and realize that everything is just you don't charge for the big picture. let's not forget that we had an apartheid regime right here. i think. well. we have the government says they're going to keep you safe get ready because you give them the freedom. well here's a shocker more waste has been discovered and spending our conflicts abroad and i pray it will be a great place for that debt reduction supercommittee to start see after a two year inquiry commission on wartime contra

he was speaking at the pentagon right at the ten year anniversary of the attacks on the pentagon almost ten years ago. this morning wall street held a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of 9/11 attacks up there. joining us right now are two people who had a front row seat at the moment in history. retired lieutenant colonel robert j. darling was in the white house bunker that morning with vice president dick cheney. he wrote about his experience in a book "24 hours inside the president's bunker." and richard kyle was traveling with president bush that morning. he's now a consultant with purple strategies. let me go with dick first. i want to get to the cheney part. i'm fascinated. you were with president bush when he was teaching at that school. tell me what you thought was the interesting thing that most people don't know about that morning 9/11. >> he had been told by the head of the white house situation room who was on that trip only that a plane had hit the world trade center. nobody knew more than that. many of us reporters were on the phone, we didn't have any video. bu

capital and the pentagon. authorities say ferdaus, who graduated from northwest university with a physics degree, planned to fly model planes like these stuffed with explosives into the building. >> definitely could have been some fatalities but i don't think you would have seen hundreds or thousands of deaths. i think in many ways this individual was probably looking for some type of psychological victory. >> reporter: undercover agents posing as al qaeda operatives handcuffed ferdaus on wednesday at this storage facility. investigators said he bought what he thought was plastic explosives, grenade and automatic assault rifles. ferdaus had been allegedly plotting for months. he snapped this picture of the pentagon and hoped to launch his attacks from a nearby park. authorities insist ferdaus supposed not a real threat because he was under surveillance the entire time. still, he repeatedly told agents he was driven to kill americans. he lived in this quiet community of ashland where neighbors couldn't believe

pentagon on the other side. he had just gotten off the phone with his wife. >> i swear i thought she was dead. i just had that feeling that she was dead. >> reporter: he realized she was alive when he reunited with her after escaping the burning building. >> i realized, too, that everyone that died in the pentagon has a family, and it made it real to me that that's -- was a -- that was different at that moment. it was different. >> reporter: colonel david kumar was thinking of his 5 and 2-year-old children when he began carrying out the toddlers of the pentagon daycare. >> what was painful was the thoughts that went through my head that perhaps some of those children's parents had perished. >> reporter: for captain jason grason the pain of 9/11 was different. he had to leave his pregnant wife to identify the pentagon bodies. >> i was the one who was taking all the x-rays on all the victims and trying to match dental record. the toughest part was at the end of the day they would take the victims that were ready t

along with the pentagon are doing everything to bake and to instill fear deep in the hearts of every american about this second round of cuts potentially having to deal all make sure it will never actually happen and boy do they go to that fear mongering to see washington d.c. politicians doing what they do best scaring the daylights out of people they do it all the time let's take a look at some of these rather apocalyptic scenarios that they've laid out for us first we're going to go with representative mark thornberry he's on the house armed services and intelligence committees and vice chairman of the subcommittee of emerging threats so in other words this guy is neck deep in our defense apparatus during a radio show back in august who are very said the first cuts are something in the pentagon says they can live with it's going to be hard but it's the kind of in the bar in the ballpark of what folks have been talking up for a while the second cuts if they were to happen would be devastating you simply could not operate the military with that second round of cuts. so wait a minute

and over at the pentagon, 125 people in the pont gone were killed that day. and 59 more were killed on american flight 77. now coming up this evening we're going to show you a little bit of the world trade center ceremony which happened this morning. president obama twhruzz, of course, as well. and we'll be showing that to you a little bit later. and then at 8:00 p.m. live coverage of the kennedy center 9/11 10th anniversary tribute show. president obama will be attending and speaking there as will members of the families of those who were killed in the terrorist attacks 10 years ago. patty jackson will perform live. and that will be live in its entirety beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern time in evening. here are a couple of fote toes that we -- photos from 9/11 245 we want to show you -- that we want to show you. this is a picture of a soldier standing outside of air force one. this was in louisiana after president bush landed after taking off from florida. you can see the soldier guarding air force one. and here is another picture that was taken and this was o

first cuts are something of the pentagon says they can live with it's going to be hard but it's the kind of in the bar in the ballpark of what folks have been talking about for a while the second cuts if they were to happen would be devastating you simply could not operate the military with that second round of cuts. so wait a minute you simply could not operate like our military would cease to exist but it really is a weapon just vanish into thin air and i get it because it affects operations are done that doesn't leave you can do some rearranging some shifting of personnel they're called cuts for a reason to make it smaller but not to be outdone is the only member of the house armed services committee working hard to freak everyone out the committee's chairman representative buck mckeon is worried that round two of cuts would mean that the military would have to get rid of two point three million service members mostly in the national guard and the reserves so we can't think that these cuts could lead to a draft during an interview with fox news he said we also need to understand