Merry Christmas

The 'panzer' Santa, with well-filled sack of radios, books, cookies, and other gifts dear to soldiers hearts, glides up to the door of the barracks in Camp Lee's Quartermaster Corps and it isn't hampered by lack of snow in Virginia. Camp Lee, Virginia, Quartermaster Replacement Center. December 1941. (U.S. Army photo.)

Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Attack Remembered on 68th Anniversary

"A date which will live in infamy"
Living History:

U.S. DoD Pearl Harbor 65th Anniversary Special
In this excellent Defense Department special from 2006, the Pentagon says the Pearl Harbor attack presents parallels and lessons for the war on terror.

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941
Overview and Special Image Selection
(DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY) -- The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Pearl Harbor Attack, Index of Action Reports

Pearl Harbor Attack, Additional Action Reports

Remembering Pearl Harbor
(National Geographic) -- Multimedia Map and Time Line: Photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target.

USS Arizona Memorial
(National Park Service) -- Oil droplets bubble to the surface of Pearl Harbor above the USS Arizona, creating a vivid link to the past. On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona.

Pearl Harbor Memorial Panorama

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941
(EyeWitness to History) -- The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was all over. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

National Museum of the Pacific War

Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund

Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbor

National World War II Memorial

National Park Service: National World War II Memorial

Video: Pearl Harbor Memories

Video link.

Video: Dedication of F4U Corsair to USS Midway on Veteran's Day 2009, Part 2

NOTE: News readers click here to watch the video.

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 -- Embedded above is a b-roll video of a dedication of an F4U Corsair aircraft to the USS Midway on Veteran's Day 2009 in San Diego, California with Marines. Scenes include the crowds on the ship, the Corsair, the flag detail and activities. Part 2 of 2. (Video by Gunnery Sgt. Steven Williams, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Length: 00:06:53.)

More Defense Imagery on THE TENSION

Video: Dedication of F4U Corsair to USS Midway on Veteran's Day 2009, Part 1

NOTE: News readers click here to watch the video.

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 -- Embedded above is a b-roll video of a dedication of an F4U Corsair aircraft to the USS Midway on Veteran's Day 2009 in San Diego, California with Marines. Scenes include the crowds on the ship, the Corsair, the flag detail and activities. Part 1 of 2. (Video by Gunnery Sgt. Steven Williams, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Length: 00:10:55.)

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Pentagon: Gates Discusses Reagan’s Decisive Role in Fall of Berlin Wall

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2009 -- A flexible American strategy based on Ronald Reagan’s inflexible belief in liberty was key to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday.

The secretary spoke at the Library of Congress at a ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. The Reagan Library sponsored the event.

And Gates was in a position to know: he served as the deputy director of intelligence at the CIA, and as deputy National Security Advisor under President George H.W. Bush.

When Ronald Reagan took office in 1981, American influence was low: Iran had humiliated the United States in taking hostages at the embassy in Tehran, the country was in what President Jimmy Carter called a malaise and the Soviet Union looked to match or surpass American military might.

Gates called Reagan “the ultimate Cold Warrior.” The new president’s first job was to restore America’s military strength. “A broad U.S. defense build-up began early in the Reagan administration, with more advanced planes, ships, submarines, combat vehicles and nuclear weapons added to America’s arsenal,” Gates said during his speech.

And Reagan wasn’t afraid to use this new American power. Libya challenged American naval might in the Mediterranean Sea with the “Line of Death” at the Gulf of Sidra. In 1981, Reagan sent two aircraft carriers across the line, and Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi sent two fighters to challenge the American ships. \

“Big mistake,” Gates said. Under Ronald Reagan’s new, aggressive rules of engagement, two F-14 Tomcats splashed the two Libyan fighters.”

Reagan extended the strategy of containment of the Soviet Union far beyond the primary theater of Europe. The Soviets found themselves being confronted in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, Gates said.

“While countering the Soviets … had been a common feature of every administration since the end of World War II, under President Reagan this struggle gained new moral energy, purpose and sense of urgency,” Gates said.

Reagan believed that the West would triumph over communism in his lifetime, and through his two terms in office he never lost sight of that, the secretary said. On Jun 12, 1987, Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate on the western side of the Berlin Wall and issued a challenge to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

“Mr. Gobachev, tear down this wall,” Reagan said.

Gates said there were some in Reagan’s own State Department who didn’t want him to say those words, but the president stuck to his guns.

But Reagan was not simply an ideologue. “President Reagan also had the insight, the sense of historical moment, to know when it was time to sheathe the sword, soften the tone and re-engage – even with our most implacable enemy,” Gates said.

Reagan’s meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in 1984, was “a turning point,” the secretary said. The president followed this with meeting with new Soviet Leader Gorbachev in 1985. And there were items the two sides could negotiate, Gates said.

“He made it clear that we did not value the ICBMs, tanks, or warships in and of themselves. They were negotiable,” the secretary said. “No, the West’s differences with the East – the democracies’ dispute with communism – was, he said, ‘not about weapons, but about liberty.’”

Reagan never lost sight of the fact that the Cold War was a struggle of ideas and economic systems at it root. There were treaties with the nation Reagan called “the Evil Empire.” Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987, banning the use of these missile systems.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Gates was President George H.W. Bush’s deputy national security advisor. He spoke of his wonder at seeing hundreds of thousands of Berliners dancing on the Wall, hacking away pieces of it and knocking down whole sections with bulldozers.

“There were hundreds of thousands of people in the streets and virtually no violence,” Gates said. “Within two years, the other Soviet satellites had broken free as well, and again, largely without violence. The effort to reform communism, as suspected, actually ended up sweeping it away. For its foundation was force and terror and without them, communism could not survive.”

The world changed when the wall fell 20 years ago, and people are still trying to devise strategies that work in a different, but still dangerous world, the secretary said. “In many ways geopolitics are much more complex than when two nuclear-armed superpowers tested each other,” he said.

Still there are lessons to be learned, and first among them is the appeal of freedom – political, economic and spiritual. “And the idea that free men and women of different cultures and countries can, for all the squabbling inherent in democracy, come together to get the big things right, and make the tough decisions to deter aggression and preserve their liberty,” Gates said.

Each generation must make this choice, he said. “It is a sad reality that in our time and in the future … there will be those who seek through violence and crimes to dominate and intimidate others,” Gates said. “We saw this on (/11, and we see it today in Afghanistan, where more perseverance, more sacrifice and more patience is required to prevent the terrorists who attacked us from doing so again.

“We see it anywhere nations, movements or strongmen are tempted to believe the United States does not have the will or the means to stand by our friends, to meet our commitments and to defend our way of life,” he continued.

President Reagan knew this inherently, Gates said. “Ronald Reagan was a great president who acted and planned, but most importantly, who dreamed and believed,” the secretary said. “And he truly accomplished great things.”

(Report by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

A Day to Honor Veterans

Living History:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2009 -- World War I, known at the time as “The Great War,” officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation" which stated: "In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible." (Click here for the full text of the proclamation.)

On that same day, the President sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee. (Click here for the text of President Eisenhower’s letter.)

In 1958, the White House advised VA's General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee's chairman.

The Uniforms Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to insure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

(Report compiled from VA.gov resources.)

Related: Dept. of Veterans Affairs Veterans Day Page -- Photos, posters, resources.

Combat Camera: A 9/11 Retrospective, Part 5

New York, N.Y. (Sep. 14, 2001) -- Cars and motorcycles lay motionless among the wreckage of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed during the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sep. 14, 2001) – Personal effects were hastily abandoned when buildings were evacuated in the wake of the Sep. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sep. 14, 2001) – A New York City firefighter attempts to clear his eyes of soot during rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. The building was destroyed during a Sep. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sep. 14, 2001) -- While working around the clock to find survivors, a rescue worker takes a moment to reflect on the impact of the devastating terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It was an emotional time for the rescue workers because many of them had lost co-workers and friends in the day’s devastation. The World Trade Center was destroyed during a Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) -- Days after a Sep. 11 terrorist attack, fires still burn amidst the rubble of the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) -- A "bucket brigade" works to clear rubble and debris, hoping to find survivors of the deadly terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (WTC). The WTC was destroyed during a Sep. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 13, 2001) -- A symbol of freedom flaps in the wind, contrasted by a soot-covered building. Patriotism was widespread throughout New York city, as well as the country, as rescue workers labored to save lives. The World Trade Center was destroyed during a September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 13, 2001) -- A weary New York City firefighter surveys the destruction as he departs the area. Most of the emergency personnel worked tirelessly for more than 24-hours immediately following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack that brought down the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, NY (Sept. 13, 2001) – A rescuer takes a break from the toil of the recovery efforts surrounded by the eerie reminder of what once was a bustling area of world commerce. The World Trade Center was destroyed during a September 11, 2001, terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

WASHINGTON -- Firefighters struggle to contain a spreading fire after a hijacked commercial jetliner crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The Pentagon crash followed an attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City in one of the worst terrorist attacks in history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jim Varhegyi.)

WASHINGTON -- Police helicopters and emergency ambulance crews stand by to aid injured workers following the crash of a hijacked commercial airliner into a section of the Pentagon. Military and civilians helped transport injured people on litters to ambulances for treatment and transportation to hospitals. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Coppage.)

The "Tribute in Light" memorial is in remembrance of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The two towers of light are composed of two banks of high wattage spotlights that point straight up from a lot next to Ground Zero. This photo was taken from Liberty State Park, N.J., Sept. 11, the five-year anniversary of 9/11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Denise Gould.)

On the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 184 beams of light rise from the courtyard of the Pentagon. The lights are to remember the 184 lives lost when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001. (U.S. Air Force photo/Col. Walter Gordon.)

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Combat Camera: A 9/11 Retrospective, Part 4

WASHINGTON (Sept. 11, 2007) - A memorial flag is illuminated near the spot where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is scheduled to host the Pentagon Sept. 11 Memorial observance for family members of those who were killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brandan W. Schulze.)

Retired fire chief Joseph Curry barks orders to rescue teams as they clear through debris that was once the World Trade Center Sept. 14, 2001, in New York. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Preston Keres, USN.)

A New York City firefighter looks up at what remains of the World Trade Center Sept. 13, 2001, after its collapse following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson, USN.)

A rescue dog is transported with rescue gear out of the debris of the World Trade Center Sept. 15, 2001, in New York. The twin towers of the center were destroyed in the Sept. 11 terror attack. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Preston Keres, USN.)

A fire fighter emerges from smoke and debris of the World Trade Center Sept. 14, 2001, in New York. The twin towers of the center were destroyed in the Sept. 11th terror attack. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson, USN.)

A solitary firefighter stands amidst the rubble and smoke in New York City, Sept. 14, 2001. Days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, fires still burn at the site of the World Trade Center. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson, USN.)

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Combat Camera: A 9/11 Retrospective, Part 3

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2001) -- The American flag is a prominent icon in the heart of what was once the World Trade Center in New York City, Sept. 15, 2001. (U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres.)

New York, New York (Sep. 19, 2001) -- "Ground Zero" at the World Trade Center disaster. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Aaron Peterson.)

New York, New York (Sep. 19, 2001) -- "Ground Zero" at the World Trade Center disaster. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Aaron Peterson.)

Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (Sept. 30, 2001) -- Captain Stephen Voestch, Commander of Carrier Air Wing One (CVW 1), Rear Admiral Mark Fitzgerald, Commander of Carrier Group Eight (CCG 8), Captain Richard J. O'Hanlon, Commanding Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) are assisted by Damage Controlmen as they fold the first American flag to be raised above "ground zero" at the site of the attack on New York's World Trade Center. The flag was presented to the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and will be flown with pride during their current deployment. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Eric A. Clement.)

Atlantic Ocean (Sept. 15, 2001) -- An Air crewman aboard a Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Two Five (VAW-125) E-2C "Hawkeye" embarked on USS George Washington (CVN 73) tracks all air and surface contacts off the east coast of the United States. The Norfolk, Va.- based aircraft and squadron are participating in Operation Noble Eagle to provide additional air defense to New York City following the 11 Sept. terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate J. Scott Campbell.)

(October 5, 2001) -- An F-14 "Tomcat” and an F/A-18 "Hornet" aircraft assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) complete air-to-air refueling operations with a U.S. Air Force KC-10 "Extender" from the 763rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron. The refueling squadron supports Navy jets conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy Photo by Commander Brian G. Gawne.)

(October 7, 2001) -- Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld announced that two U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft air dropped enough daily rations for 37,500 people in regions of Afghanistan where the displaced people are at risk of starvation. This photo shows Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDR), which was transported from bases in the U.S. earlier in the week. (U.S. Navy Photo by Tina M. Ackerman.)

Aboard USS John Paul Jones (Oct. 8, 2001) -- A "Tomahawk" land attack missile (TLAM) is launched from aboard the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) in a strike against al Qaida terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on Oct. 8, 2001. The carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a base for terrorist operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime. The John Paul Jones is steaming at sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Ted Banks.)

Aboard USS Carl Vinson (October 7, 2001) -- Aviation Ordnancemen move a 1,000-pound bomb onto the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). The bombs will be used during strikes against al Qaida terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a base for terrorist operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime. The Carl Vinson is operating in the Arabian Sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Greg Messier.)

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Combat Camera: A 9/11 Retrospective, Part 2

The Pentagon in flames moments after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the building Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll, USMC.)

Firefighters work to put out the flames moments after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll, USMC.)

The Pentagon in flames just minutes after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the building Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll, USMC.)

Firefighters and Defense Department employees organize a group to go in and find survivors moments after a hijacked jetliner crashed into the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Cpl. Jason Ingersoll, USMC.)

After being told to vacate his office in the Pentagon, U.S. Air Force Maj. Ken Echternacht volunteered to help set up the Red Cross Disaster Services Area in the South Parking lot. The area was being used to provide food and rest for various emergency response agencies working around the clock to secure the impact area caused when a hijacked commercial jetliner crashed into the building Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by TSgt Jim Varhegyi, USAF.)

Aerial view of the destruction caused when a hijacked commercial jetliner crashed into the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorist attack which caused extensive damage to the Pentagon followed similar attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Cedric H. Rudisill, USAF.)

Fire and rescue workers unfurl a huge American flag over the side of the Pentagon during rescue and recovery efforts following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack. A hijacked commercial airliner, originating from Washington D.C.'s Dulles airport, was flown into the southern side of the building facing Route 27. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Michael W. Pendergrass, USN.)

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Combat Camera: A 9/11 Retrospective, Part 1

Arlington, Virginia (Sept. 11, 2001) -- Medical personnel and volunteers work the first medical triage area set up outside the Pentagon after a hijacked commercial airliner crashed into the southwest corner of the building. (U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram.)

Arlington, Virginia (Sept. 11, 2001) -- Medical personnel load wounded into an ambulance at the first medical triage area set up outside the Pentagon after a hijacked commercial airliner crashed into the southwest corner of the building. (U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram.)

Arlington, Virginia (Sept. 11, 2001) -– Smoke and flames rose over the Pentagon late into the night, following a suspected terrorist crash of a commercial airliner into the southwest corner of the Pentagon. Part of the building has collapsed meanwhile firefighters continue to battle the flames and look for survivors. An exact number of casualties is unknown. The building was evacuated, as were the federal buildings in the Capitol area, including the White House. (U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Bob Houlihan.)

Pentagon, Arlington, Va. (Sept. 11, 2001) – "The Pentagon is functioning" was the message Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, center, stressed during a press conference in the Pentagon briefing room barely eight hours after terrorists crashed a hijacked commercial jetliner into the national military headquarters. Rumsfeld is fland, left to right, by Secretary of the Army Tom White, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Henry Shelton, and Senators John Warner, of Virginia, and Carl Levin, of Michigan. (U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Bob Houlihan.)

San Diego, Calif. (Sept. 12, 2001) -- A Sailor aboard the auxiliary command ship USS Coronado (AGF 11), command ship for U.S. Third Fleet, keeps a vigilant watch near the entrance of San Diego Harbor. (U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Palmer Pinckney.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2001) -- Rescue workers conduct search and rescue attempts, descending deep into the rubble of the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, NY (Sept. 14, 2001) -- What was once a glittering symbol of the financial center of the world now stands blanketed in ash and soot. The World Trade Center was destroyed during a September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson.)

New York, N.Y. (Sept. 15, 2001) -- A New York City fireman calls for 10 more rescue workers to make their way into the rubble of the World Trade Center. (U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Preston Keres.)

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