On September 11, 2001, Vaughn Allex was working the ticket counter at Dulles International Airport. When two men arrived late for their flight, he ran through all of the security measures of the time and let them board. Only later did he learn that they were among the five hijackers responsible for the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. Vaughn came to StoryCorps to remember the guilt and shame he experienced following the attacks — and how he eventually found healing.

September 12th: Reflections on September 11th From an Airline Worker

When Joseph Patton joined the Navy in 1955, he recalls serving in silence, as the LGBTQIA+ community could not be open while in the military. Despite being the “perfect sailor,” Joseph was kicked out of the Navy for being friends with gay service members, under the assumption that he was homosexual. Due to the status of his “undesirable discharge,” Joseph was unable to receive any benefits for his service in the Navy. Years later, Joseph came to StoryCorps to reflect on his journey and share his resilience, as he fought and successfully changed his status to “honorable discharge.”