PART ONE: SURVIVING 9/11. On May 2, 2011,
officials with a “need to know” monitored the highly sensitive US
operation against the most wanted terrorist in the world in real
time. But for a CIA officer named Kevin watching that night, the
mission against Al Qaeda’s seniormost leader had a uniquely
personal resonance. Because as a young Navy officer working in
the Pentagon, he had nearly died on September 11th, 2001.
Sustaining extensive injuries in the attack, he was rushed to
Walter Reed Medical Center, where doctors were unsure whether he
would survive; later, in recovery, he would flatline twice. But
his story was far from over. Because Kevin would overcome his
injuries, join the CIA, and ultimately take his place on the CIA
team tracking down the terrorist leader who oversaw the attacks:
Usama Bin Laden. And on this special, three-part episode of The
Langley Files, Kevin returns to CIA Headquarters to share his
incredible journey. In Part One, Kevin recounts his experiences
on 9/11: the US Navy service that led to his posting at the
Pentagon, his fight to survive amid the chaos of the attack, and
how a stranger saved his life on that dark day. You may have
heard of some of the people involved in the search for Usama Bin
Laden, but you haven’t yet heard this part of the story—until
now.
Look Inside FILE 018:
A memorial to those lost on September 11th, 2001 stands on the
grounds of CIA’s Headquarters in Langley, VA: a steel column from
World Trade Center Building Six that still carried the smell of
smoke from that day over a decade later. You can read about that
solemn tribute here.
Kevin discussed following news of the United States’ response to
the 9/11 attacks as he recovered from his injuries; CIA played a
key role in that response, with a legendary CIA team “first in”
on the ground in Afghanistan just 15 days after the attack. The
helicopter that carried that team now sits at CIA Headquarters at
Langley, Virginia, but you can see it here.
Johnny Micheal Spann, a CIA paramilitary officer serving in that
initial Agency response to the 9/11 attacks, was the first
American killed in combat in Afghanistan. His last act was to
warn a CIA colleague of imminent danger, helping that colleague
get to safety. You can read about Johnny’s story and sacrifice
here. A sign in Afghanistan honoring him still resides at
the CIA Museum today.
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