Navy Commander's identification badges - September 11: Bearing Witness to History

Burned military ID card.

Comdr. Patrick Dunn, like all members of the U.S. armed forces, carried a military ID. This card was heavily burned in the fire that followed the crash of the hijacked airliner.

Location: Pentagon

Source: Gift of Stephanie Dunn

-Pentagon rescuer's uniform
-Pentagon rescuer's name tag and medal
-Clothing worn in escape from the Pentagon

Navy Commander's identification badges
Description: These ID badges belonged to Comdr. Patrick Dunn, a victim of terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

Context: Being a U.S. soldier has always been a dangerous job, but a terrorist attack was not expected by anyone sitting at a desk in the Pentagon.

On the morning of September 11, Comdr. Patrick Dunn was the watch commander of the Navy Command Center on the first floor, in the D ring of the Pentagon. Personnel in the Center were aware of the terrorist attacks in New York and were monitoring developments along with other situations around the world.

At 9:38 am, terrorists crashed a Boeing 757 into the Pentagon. The plane slid directly through the Navy Command Center, killing twenty-nine of the thirty people working in the facility. In the Pentagon attack, 125 employees were killed and some 140 more were injured; aboard the airplane fifty-three passengers, seven crew members, and five hijackers died.


	Athletic Center card This card was used by Comdr. Dunn to access the Pentagon athletic center. Physical fitness is very important to a fighting force; every member of the military must pass a rigorous physical exam twice a year. Military personnel are required to maintain [...]

	Navy Command Center card This card was used to gain access to the Navy Command Center on the first floor of the D ring in the Pentagon. The Command Center was staffed 24 hours a day by personnel who monitored U.S. naval units around the world and watched worldwide news broadcasts. [...]

	Pentagon ID badge Comdr. Dunn used this card to enter the Pentagon and gain access to areas outside the Navy Command Center.

	Television from Navy Command Center Staff members in the Navy Command Center were watching live news coverage of the World Trade Center attacks on this television when a hijacked plane struck the Pentagon.

	Navy Command Center survivor's story September 11th Reflections: My Ring Story By Lieutenant Kevin Shaeffer ’94, U.S. Navy (Retired) September 11, 2001—A beautiful morning to be sure. At least that’s how it started out. It was close to 6:30 a.m. and I was riding in to the Pentagon [...]

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