9/11 Pentagon survivor Ryan Yantis shared his story at the 95th Street Library last night.
At the time, Yantis was a Major in the U.S. Army, working in the Department of Public Affairs.
He was in the Pentagon on the day of the attacks and helped evacuate the building with hundreds of others who were just helping out in any way they could.
“That morning he saw the plane hit, grabbed his aid back and drove the building. A nurse was able to organize and save lives with that aid back that was dropped there by luck,” said Yantis. “Nobody told that soldier ‘hey run to the building.’ He saw a need and responded.”
A lot of the heroism on 9/11 came from ordinary people seeing something that needed doing and getting it done.
He also explained that the Pentagon kept working in the wake of the attacks, even though employees now had to go through security to get into the still-damaged building.
“We were lining up docilely to be inspected and go through security to back to work in a building that is on fire and without power,” he said.
Yantis closed his presentation with Q&A and encouraged the audience to respond if they ever see a need for action.
Naperville News 17’s Blane Erwin reports.
