On September 11, 2001, Air Force flight surgeon John Baxter showed up to work at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to a full load of patients and completing physicals–just like any other day.

Halfway through his morning while getting his next patient, he saw that a civilian airliner had flown into one of the World Trade Center towers.

While with the patient, Baxter said he noticed the background noise in the Pentagon changed. It seemed quieter than usual. Then, he heard shouts. He opened his door and saw people running and shouting, and smoke in the hallway.

At first, Baxter didn’t know if there was an explosion, a fire or some other event. Despite the unknowns, he assembled his team of flight surgeons, a nurse and medical technicians. They grabbed medical kits and traveled as a group. Their emergency plan was to meet up with other medics at the Pentagon’s DiLorenzo Clinic.

Then they heard the news: there were casualties in corridor 5.

Baxter’s team ran to the spot. They found Army Veteran Brian Birdwell, who was in excruciating pain from burns. It was a situation that Baxter was unexpectedly prepared for: Months earlier, in an emergency exercise, the flight clinic trained for the same scenario that unfolded on 9/11: a plane crashing into the Pentagon.

John Baxter still serves at the Pentagon, though now as a civilian flight surgeon. For this week’s Born the Battle Podcast, Baxter details his story of 9/11 and the days that followed.

(Originally casted 9/11/2019)

#BtBattle Veteran of the Week:

• Army Veteran and 9/11 victimMax Beilke

Additional Links:

• https://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/brian-birdwell:-refined-by-fire
• https://pentagonmemorial.org/
• https://archive.defense.gov/PhotoEssays/PhotoEssaySS.aspx?ID=924
• https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/News/Article/Article/1627463/vice-president-dod-leaders-honor-pentagons-911-sacrifices/