25 Years Later: Sept. 11 Pentagon Burn Survivors Reunite with Care Teams Who Helped Save Their Lives

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Sep 11, 2026, 11:35 ET

The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center cared for 10 critically injured Pentagon patients and helped shape the future of burn care.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-five years later, three survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, Pentagon attack returned to the Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where they received lifesaving care and began their long road to recovery after one of the nation's deadliest terrorist attacks.

Twenty-five years later, three Pentagon burn survivors returned to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where their recovery began.

The survivors reunited with caregivers and toured the Burn Center, including the newly renovated intensive care unit, step-down unit, and rehabilitation gym where they spent weeks and months recovering from devastating injuries. Their visit underscored the resilience of survivors, the dedication of healthcare teams who cared for them, and the lasting bonds formed through tragedy.

The three survivors spent between five weeks and three months at MedStar Washington Hospital Center after sustaining severe burn injuries in the attack.

HON Brian Birdwell, now Assistant Secretary of War for Sustainment at the Pentagon and a retired Army lieutenant colonel, suffered severe burns over more than 60% of his body. He underwent dozens of surgeries and months of rehabilitation during his recovery. Since then, HON Birdwell has dedicated his life to public service and has become a nationally recognized advocate and speaker on resilience and leadership.

Maj. David King worked in the Pentagon's Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army (G-8) and was the sole survivor from his office. He sustained burns to 22% of his body and endured multiple surgeries, skin grafts, and extensive physical therapy. After approximately five weeks in the hospital, he returned to military service in January 2002 and retired from the Army in 2008.

John Yates, a security manager at the Pentagon, sustained burns to 38% of his body and was the sole survivor from his office. He spent over two months in the hospital, where he relearned many of the basic tasks of everyday life during his recovery. He returned to work in Jan. 2002 and retired in 2016.

The Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center played a critical role in the region's emergency response following the attack on the Pentagon. As the Washington region's only adult Burn Center, its physicians, nurses, therapists, and support staff rapidly mobilized to care for 10 patients suffering from severe burns, inhalation injuries, and complex trauma. Many required multiple reconstructive surgeries, specialized wound care, respiratory support, rehabilitation services, and long-term follow-up.

The national spotlight turned to the hospital on Sept. 13, 2001, when President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush visited patients, families, and healthcare workers, thanking them for their courage and service during one of the most challenging moments in the nation's history.

"The lessons learned from caring for survivors of the Pentagon attack helped shape burn disaster preparedness, emergency response planning, and multidisciplinary burn care in the years that followed," said Jeffrey Shupp, MD, director of the Burn Center at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. "Since 2001, advances in critical care, wound management, infection prevention, skin grafting techniques, reconstructive surgery, pain management, rehabilitation, and aftercare have dramatically improved outcomes for patients with severe burn injuries."

Dr. Shupp was a graduate student at the University of Maryland on Sept. 11, 2001. In the years that followed, he spent hundreds of hours learning from the late Marion Jordan, MD, former director of the Burn Center, whose leadership during and after the Pentagon attack earned the Burn and Trauma teams worldwide recognition for their expertise in caring for some of the nation's most critically injured survivors.

Today, the Burn Center continues to serve as a regional, national, and international leader in burn care, providing comprehensive treatment from emergency care through rehabilitation, reconstruction, and social reintegration. The program cares for patients with some of the most complex traumatic injuries, helping them recover, regain independence, and return to their families, jobs, and communities.

The return of these three survivors stands as a testament to the lifesaving care delivered in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the remarkable advances in burn medicine made over the past 25 years.

Download photos, B-roll and soundbites (SOT) from the survivors' visit with their care teams HERE.

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