American Heroes of 9/11: Lt. General Patricia D. Horoho

As we approach the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, Townhall plans to honor the lives lost and the lives forever changed with our “Heroes of 9/11” series. Every day from now until September 11, we will highlight an American hero. This year, most especially, we wish not simply to commemorate an event, but the character of exceptional men and women who demonstrated the best of humanity in one of its darkest moments. More than that, we want to educate younger generations for whom September 11 is little more than a historical episode so that we embody what it means to “Never Forget.”

The Army was in Lt. Col. Patricia D. Horoho’s blood. Born at Fort Bragg in 1960, her father served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Despite that, Horoho recounted how it shocked her family to hear that she, too, was joining the Army.

But join she did, and she also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1982 and a Master of Science in Nursing as a Clinical Trauma Nurse Specialist from the University of Pittsburgh a decade later. Her focus was on mass casualty response. In 1994, Horoho was the head nurse at the Womack Army Medical Center, where she treated more than 100 wounded after the Green Ramp disaster at Pope Air Force Base. 

“What I learned was that preparedness allows you to react when you need to,” Horoho said of her training. “You don’t think twice. You do what you have to do.”

On September 11, 2001, Horoho was at the Pentagon, where she’d been assigned to the Personnel and Health Management Policy Office. That morning, as she was walking down one of the Pentagon’s long hallways, Horoho just had a gut feeling about … something.

“September 11 was a perfect fall day,” she said. “While I was walking down one of those endless Pentagon corridors, I can’t really explain it, but sometimes I get these instincts that feel like divine guidance.”

“I’ve learned to trust them. This voice inside my head kept saying, ‘Don’t go down that hallway.’ Then I heard someone yell, ‘The World Trade Center’s been hit!’ I turned into an office where people were watching a plane strike the South Tower,” Horoho explained. 

On September 11th, so many Americans leapt into action. Among them was LTG (Ret.) Patricia Horoho, whose extraordinary leadership and courage at the Pentagon embodied the very best of our nation. Here to share her story is Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo.#MemDayPBS… pic.twitter.com/iNj3GLHS1g

— National Memorial Day Concert (@MemorialDayPBS) May 25, 2026

“My instincts kicked in again. I said it out loud: ‘There’s going to be a series of attacks. We’re next.’ A few minutes later, the whole building just shook,” Horoho continued. “A strange kind of calm came over me, like time just stopped.”

“I ran straight to the impact site.”

It was 9:37 AM.

Underneath that sense of calm was a sense of purpose and leadership. Horoho’s office was about 100 yards from the impact site, which was a gaping black hole in the building, and she said the ground was “burning hot” and scattered with plane debris, shattered glass, and smoldering metal. The heat was so intense, windows were melting. “The stench of jet fuel was overpowering,” she recalled.

She saw people trying to find their way out of the darkness and the fire, stumbling over debris and burning jet fuel. They were breaking windows and trying to escape by any means. Those people who were “starting to come down … were injured, burned, with smoke inhalation, or dazed and cut.”

LTG Patty Horoho was the nurse at the Pentagon crash site who took control of the entire disaster site minutes after imoact. I worked all day under her command. She was unshakable and brave … and the first Nurse SG of the Army! #MyHero https://t.co/Dczb5Rd8dj

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) January 26, 2021

The situation was dire. Despite being a well-trained and experienced trauma nurse, Horoho had no supplies. Then, miraculously, a first aid kit appeared, reportedly given by a passing motorist. But more supplies were needed.

Horoho set up a triage area on the Pentagon lawn, under a tree that would be dubbed the “triage tree.” She borrowed a belt from a senior officer to use as a tourniquet, and soon other supplies like gloves and IVs showed up. Horoho taught volunteers how to start those IVs and administer medications while she treated survivors suffering from shrapnel wounds, burns, and those who inhaled toxic smoke. She cut clothing from burn victims and helped load the severely wounded onto helicopters. Soon, physicians and medical personnel from Walter Reed, Bethesda, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces showed up to help, as did doctors and nurses from civilian hospitals in the area. Soon, ambulances, helicopters, police, and the FBI were on scene.

Horoho and Dr. James Vafier, the medical director of Alexandria’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services, continued coordinating medical operations near the impact site. In addition to treating the survivors, Horoho identified the best evacuation paths for the wounded.

“We were doing battlefield triage on the grounds of the Pentagon,” Horoho recalled. “It wasn’t easy trying to create order in the middle of chaos.”

Another thought weighed on her: “We’re at war.” She wondered if this was what her father experienced during his service in the Army.

But by responding so quickly and coordinating a triage response, the severely burned patients were able to get loaded onto helicopters; Horoho had given them a fighting chance. Rescuers never stopped going back into the building to find survivors, and everyone was doing their part.

LTC Patricia Horoho: On September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Colonel and Army nurse Patricia Horoho swiftly set up a triage area outside the Pentagon. With minimal resources initially, she managed to treat 75 individuals, showcasing exceptional skill and determination.

— The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial (@Sept11PMFund) March 20, 2024

By the time the sun had set, Horoho recalled, the rescue had turned into a recovery operation. “We knew there wouldn’t be any more coming out alive,” Horoho recalled. “That was a hard moment.”

There was another moment, however, that gave Horoho hope. “Through the smoke, I could see the firemen unfurling the flag on the roof of the Pentagon, and that site drove home for me that the words ‘United States of America’ weren’t just words. We were united in our resolve because everyone came together on 9/11.”

When the casualty list came out, Horoho hoped and prayed she wouldn’t know anyone. But she did. Maj. Ronald Milam, Sgt. Maj. Lacey Ivory, and Lt. Col. Karen Wagner were Horoho’s officemates.

“We lost 184 lives at the Pentagon,” she said. 

Breaking barriers and blazing a trail for others to follow, Patricia Horoho, the first female U.S. Surgeon General and 9/11 Pentagon Hero, courageously shares her inspiring journey and story of resilience. #WomensHistoryMonth #PentagonMemorial pic.twitter.com/qu5nZj0nMY

— The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial (@Sept11PMFund) March 27, 2024

Despite that tragedy, Horoho’s actions cannot be understated. She ran towards the impact site and, with limited resources, began triaging and treating patients. Her bravery, selflessness, and professionalism meant 75 people received immediate care in the aftermath of the attack, and she undoubtedly saved dozens of lives.

Following that day, Horoho continued her career with the Army. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

She was promoted to the rank of Lt. General and became the first female nurse, non-physician Surgeon General and Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command. She retired from the Army in 2016.

And as we approach the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Horoho looks back with one thought in mind.

“For those of us who lived it, 9/11 is not a story we read in a book. It is a day we will carry forever.” – LTG Patricia Horoho (Ret.)

The 2026 National Memorial Day Concert will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and share the story of… pic.twitter.com/NBerFmoT4K

— National Memorial Day Concert (@MemorialDayPBS) May 19, 2026

“For those of us who lived it, 9/11 is not a story we read in a book. It is a day we will carry forever,” Horoho said. “My hope, my mission, is that every American, no matter their age, will carry it too — not out of fear or anger, but out of love, gratitude, and a shared commitment to one another and to this great nation.”

This is part of the American Heroes of 9/11 series. To read more about the American Heroes of 9/11, click here.

Editor’s Note: We must never forget those lost on 9/11 and the American heroes who sacrificed their lives to save countless others.

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