The terrorist attacks against the United States on 9-11 were intended to tear apart the fabric of the country and its democratic foundations. Instead, this brazen act served to show the world the heart of a nation and the true meaning of "united we stand." Author Lincoln M. Starnes joined Ian Punnett (Twitter) to discuss the heroes at the Pentagon who were extraordinary civilians and soldiers who made decisions to sacrifice their own safety to render aid to complete strangers. Twenty years later, these stories serve as a reminder of what it truly means to be human.
According to Starnes, Staff Sgt. Christopher Braman "stands out as one of the foremost heroes." He did not leave the Pentagon for five days after the attack, and his clothes were covered in blood and human matter, Starnes revealed. He called Navy SEAL Craig Powell "a legend" for being severely injured yet holding up a section of ceiling to allow survivors to crawl out through his legs.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul "Ted" Anderson, along with Braman, had a standoff with DC firefighters and ultimately broke through their line to get back inside the Pentagon to save lives, Starnes continued. Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills stands out for remaining calm and collected, and leading survivors out through the darkness and smoke, he reported. "There were [also] heroes that I never spoke to, that never got their stories told," Starnes added.
The Suicide Squad
In the first hour, actor David Dastmalchian talked about his portrayal of Polka-Dot Man in the new Suicide Squad movie as well as his other upcoming film roles. Dastmalchian, who phoned in from Malta where he's filming the Last Voyage of the Demeter, revealed his every day battle with mental wellness and sobriety, and how that gives him insight into some of the darker characters he has portrayed. Polka-Dot Man, for instance, is in the throes of suicidal ideation and deep depression, which is something Dastmalchian understands.
"There's not much terrain to cover for me, I think, to access a lot of those feelings that I have about maybe the darker things that frighten us about this life," he said. There is darkness in the universe that each person must battle on some level, Dastmalchian continued. "No matter who is sitting in the cinema or on their couch... you hope, if you do your job well, that they feel a little bit less alone," he added.