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Page 2A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, September 22, 2021 Post 197's Stephen Golias shares Patriot Day story During the Patriot Day program hosted by American Legion Post 197 on the courthouse square, participants saw memori als to all those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks, observed a mo ment of silence and heard the 9-11 FDNY/NYPD last call and taps and learned about a Concord resi dent’s service on that fate ful day of Sept. 11, 2001. “In 2001, our nation, united under God, made an unbreakable promise never to forget the 2,977 innocent Americans who were senselessly killed on Sept. 11. On the 20th anniversary of this sacred day - Patriot Day - we sol emnly honor that commit ment. In cities and towns across our great country, we stand in solidarity to remember the victims and mourn their stolen lives,” said American Legion Post 197 commander Paul Chatterton during his opening remarks. Post 197 adjutant and veteran Stephen Golias enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1977 as a Fire Protection Specialist and served at Andersen Air Force Base, at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC. He served four and a half years in the Air Force then joined the Washing ton DC Air National Guard where he served as a full time National Guardsman for 20 more years. In 2001, Steve reverted to National Guard part time status for an additional two years and retired as a Master Sergeant in 2003. “With my electronics and radar background, I was able to apply for and accepted a position with the Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) as a surveillance radar special ist in July 2001 at Dulles International Airport, addressed Washington D.C. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, at approxi mately 8:30 a.m., 1 was at my Dulles International Airport radar site per forming my pre-scheduled daily certification op erational checks on the ASR-9 surveillance radar with Mode-S. The ASR-9 is a newer model of FAA surveillance radars with a 55 mile operational range. The ASR-9 radar in itself gives the Air Traffic Con trollers the distance and bearing and heading of an aircraft, while combined with the Mode-S gives the altitude, speed and aircraft squawk identifi cation, (IFF) for an exact location and identification of the aircraft in real time. IFF stands for: Identifica tion, Friend or Foe. Every aircraft flying that has made a pre-flight flight plan, be it military or civil ian, the IFF transmits a pre-determined numbered frequency code specific to that aircraft that is shown on the Air Traffic Con troller’s radar screen to uniquely identify it within their 55 mile controlled air space range,” said Golias. “While at the radar site, at approximately 8:50 a.m., I was called on my radio and told that a small Cessna aircraft had accidently flown into one of the World Trade Center Towers, a few minutes earlier. At the time, it was no big deal, just an unfortunate errant rookie pilot who got caught up in an updraft and severe crosswind. Moments later it was confirmed that it was indeed a much larger aircraft, but not yet identified. Still just a few minutes later, another report was made that another large aircraft had hit the second tower and both towers were on fire. The first tower strike was actually a Boeing 767 American Airlines Flight II at 8:46 a.m. The second strike was a Boeing 767 United Airlines flight 175 at 9:02 a.m. Still at the radar site, myself and all other Dulles special ists were notified that another aircraft that had taken off from Dulles had diverted from its flight plan, going to Los Angeles and now heading back to Washington D.C. Ameri - General Cardiology - Preventive Cardiology Care - Non-lnvasive Imaging - Risk Factor Management Dr. Donisto join Upson Cardiology September 27th! H CARDIOLOGY 612. W. Gordon St. (Suite C) Thomaston, Ga Joshua Donis, M.D. 706-646-5712 for legal purposes to Air Traffic Control manage ment and authorities, we noticed a very lucid pilot on take-off; then several minutes into the flight, the language and articulation of the pilot changed and was noted to sound like the pilot was drunk and stuttering. It was at this time that we surmised the cabin crew had been hijacked and had lost control of the aircraft,” said Golias. “The next few days at Dulles was a very surreal experience. Nothing was happening, no movement, no noise, no contrails, no passen gers, an empty concourse, complete silence. The only authorized aircraft PHOTO BY JOHN ELLIS Post 197 Adjutant and veteran Stephen Golias of Concord was part of the military response on Sept. 11,2001 in Washington, DC. can Airlines Flight 77 was heading East and was not in communication with Air Traffic Controllers. Being at the radar site, I saw an aircraft squawking an IFF code belonging to American Airlines flight 77, a Boeing 757. As I watched it follow the path of the Potomac River into D.C., I saw the IFF code stop transmitting, and it became just a moving blip on the screen. The landmass of the D.C. area is programmed into the radar screens for the Air Traffic Controllers so they can follow the planes at lower altitudes into known geographical landmarks so as to give updates on any new land ing procedural informa tion. Being familiar with the routes of aircraft fly ing into and out of the DC area, I was watching the path of American Airlines Flight 77 (or just a blip as it is now). It was flying East over the path of the Potomac river. Recogniz ing the flying path into the DC area and the Northern Virginia, Arlington area, I knew the locations of the White House, the Capitol Building and Pentagon. At approximately 9:37 a.m. that morning, I observed the ‘blip’ disappear from the screen in the immedi ate vicinity of the Penta gon. Shortly thereafter, I was called on my radio to immediately stop all radar operational checks and to return to the office. We had learned that the aircraft had struck the Pentagon on the east side with no survivors and multiple ground fatalities and casualties. Had the aircraft overshot the Pen tagon and turned around and struck from the west side (the Riverside Entrance), it would have taken out all the Joint Chiefs and a lot more of the top military leaders as a Joint Chief’s meeting was in session.” During his 15 minutes travel time from the radar site to his office in the terminal, Golias saw all aircraft at Dulles International come to a complete ground stop. He said it was eerie to see the airport evacuated with no passengers or work ers and he tried to call his brother who worked at the Pentagon but all phone lines were down. He later found out his brother was not there at the time. “As a surveillance spe cialist (radar, ground com munications and video) at Dulles International Airport, I was also respon sible for maintaining the recordings of all Air Traf fic Controller and aircraft pilots ground-to-air and air-to-ground communica tion’s recordings; as every conversation between a controller and pilot is recorded as an historical and legal document. As I played back the cockpit recorded communica tions from the flight 77 The Kiwanis Club of Griffin's 75th Annual NfALOnnt cecuty fair Fair dates are September 24 - October 2nd ©otk^ Games by mm wmm ®ki sale mm sept. 24™ Kiwanis Club of Griffin Office, FNB, United Bank, and online at: KIWANISOFGRIFFIN.COM Lawn Mower Races September 25, Demolition Derby September 28, & Jeep Day October 2 flying within the continen tal United States for the next few days were the military and Con Air; the military protecting Amer ica and Federal convicts. I would drive into DC and one of my routes took me close to the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. Emergency vehicles were still on the road with officers directing traffic while people were slow ing down trying to see the damage still smoldering.” Shortly after the attacks, Golias was re activated to active duty from his Guard status. His job for the next year was to design, build, and bring into operational readiness a communi cations system able to scramble fully loaded F-16 aircraft from Andrews and Langley AFB’s. The communications system was operational within six months, tied into NORAD, the White House, Joint Chiefs War Room, FAA Headquarters and the National Capitol Readi ness Command Center, a command center staffed with a combination of US Marshalls, FAA security, military, Home Land Se curity and just about any other law enforcement agency you can think of. After the events of 9-11, a lot of people stepped up, volunteered and took charge to defend America. “I was honored to do my small part.”