9-11 memorial ceremony at Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

“Unsung heroes” worked inside the burning Pentagon building to maintain critical communications after the 9-11 terrorists’ attacks Sept. 11, 2001, said USAF Ret. Col. Thomas Hickerson.

“This is the story of the front line of the first battle of the war on terrorism,” Hickerson said during the keynote address Wednesday at the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office’s annual 9-11 Memorial Ceremony.

Hickerson, who lives in Smyrna, served as program manager for Lockheed Martin whose employees provided the backbone network capability for the Pentagon’s 25,000-plus employees.

He was working at the Pentagon when the terrorists flew an airplane into the building, killing 59 employees, 60 years to the day of the ground-breaking of the Pentagon in 1941

After the attack, men and women knowingly risked their lives for something greater than themselves, he said.

The Lockheed Martin employees could not abandon their positions in the burning building.

“This was the lifeline of information of orders of our command and control of the military,” Hickerson said. “If there was ever a time our nation needed command and control, this was it because the magnitude of the attack was unknown.”

Four military retirees immediately volunteered to stay behind and man critical positions in the operations center even though smoke filled the building.

A retired major located a list of the 250 employees before being evacuated to make sure they could account for all employees. They located all employees, including the last one found two days later still working inside.

“An F16 came in 100 feet off the ground and did two circles around the Pentagon and flew straight up,” Hickerson remembered. “Folks, it’s going to be all right now. Go Air Force.”

Hickerson took the remaining team members to a deli to eat because they didn’t know when they would get another meal. His credit card didn’t work because credit systems were down. He returned later to pay the bill.

By 6 p.m., a preliminary plan was established and employees entered the still-burning Pentagon to re-establish network operations.

Employees worked around the clock to maintain the operations along with 175 additional employees.

Hickerson credited as unsung heroes other employees such as his secretary who went back to work, teachers in schools who comforted students and parents who worked in the Pentagon.

In his remarks, Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh used a quote by President George W. Bush to describe the significance of remembering 9-11.

“One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in Americans’ history. We’ll always honor the heroes of 9/11. We pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice.”