The 9/11 Engineer Who Couldn’t Save His Friend | Dayton News

Retired Army Master Sergeant Mark Williams revisits the Pentagon memorial with his family, confronting the raw trauma of 9/11 — the day his elite rescue team was among the first responders to the crash of American Airlines Flight 77. Trapped by raging fires fueled by jet fuel and facing unimaginable horror, they searched for survivors while also desperately seeking his mentor, Sergeant Major Larry Strickland. What they found were charred remains and no survivors — 184 lives lost. For years, Williams battled guilt and grief, unable to find Strickland’s body until weeks later, when confirmation came that he died instantly. It took over two decades for Williams to finally return to the site, and even longer to forgive himself. Now, he and his former teammates honor their fallen comrades through shared support and relentless training — their unit forever marked as the 9-11 Technical Rescue Engineer Company, a badge of courage and remembrance. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ef2c13cc94527c5b