MSNBC-National Geographic still screenshot; 9/11 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City.
0846 – Flight 11 crashed into the north face of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
America is at war.
0850-0854 – Flight 77 is hijacked.
Archive for the ‘Memorial’ Category
9/11 Memorial – As It Happened – 0846
Thursday, September 11th, 20259/11 Memorial – As It Happened – 0800
Thursday, September 11th, 2025
0814 – United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 carrying 56 passengers and nine crew members, departed from Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles International Airport, with five hijackers onboard.
0820 – American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 carrying 58 passengers and six crew members, departed from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, Virginia, bound for Los Angeles International Airport, with five hijackers aboard.
0842 – United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 carrying 37 passengers and seven crew members departed from Newark International Airport, bound for San Francisco International Airport, with four hijackers aboard.
0842-0846 – Flight 175 is hijacked.
9/11 Memorial – As It Happened – 0700
Thursday, September 11th, 2025
0735 – terrorists Atta and al-Omari board American Airlines Flight 11, along with the rest of the Flight 11 hijackers.
0759 – American Airlines Flight 11 departs towards Los Angeles International Airport.
9/11 Memorial – As It Happened – 0600
Thursday, September 11th, 2025
0600 – terrorists Mohammed Atta and Abdulaziz al-Omari traveled to Logan International Airport from Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine.
0652 – fellow terrorist Marwan al-Shehhi called Atta at Logan to confirm the plans of the attack.
Unveiling the Shane Patton Memorial Statue
Saturday, June 28th, 2025
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Red Wings, considered one of the greatest losses in the SOF community and darkest day in SEAL history.
Among those killed was U.S. Navy SEAL Shane Patton, a native of Boulder City, Nevada and the final SEAL missing a memorial at home. Those days are over, as the memorial statue is complete and being unveiled today, Saturday 6/28/2025, at 4pm Vegas time.
Along with Shane Patton, We Honor:
Matthew G. Axelson, Petty Officer2nd Class E-5, U.S. Navy
Danny P. Dietz, Petty Officer Second Class E-5, U.S. Navy
Jacques J. Fontan, Chief Petty Officer E-7, U.S. Navy
Shamus O. Goare, Staff Sergeant E-6, U.S. Army
Corey J. Goodnature, Chief Warrant Officer 3 CW3, U.S. Army
Daniel R. Healy, Senior Chief Petty Officer E-8, U.S. Navy
Kip A. Jacoby, Sergeant E-5, U.S. Army
Erik S. Kristensen, Lieutenant Commander O-4, U.S. Navy
Jeffrey A. Lucas, Petty Officer 1st Class E-6, U.S. Navy
Michael M. McGreevy, Lieutenant O-3, U.S. Navy
Marcus V. Muralles, Sergeant First Class E-7, U.S. Army
Michael P. Murphy, Lieutenant O-3,U.S. Navy
Shane E. Patton, Petty Officer 2ndClass E-5, U.S. Navy
James W. Ponder, Master Sergeant E-8, U.S. Army
Stephen C. Reich, Major O-4, U.S. Army
Michael L. Russell, Sergeant First Class E-7, U.S. Army
Chris J. Scherkenbach, Chief Warrant Officer 4 CW4, U.S. Army
James E. Suh, Petty Officer 2nd Class E-5, U.S. Navy
Jeffrey S. Taylor, Petty Officer 1st Class E-6, U.S. Navy
We’d also like to thank TNVC’s founder, Victor DiCosola, a proud supporter of our US Military’s warriors and a good friend of Shane’s father, James Patton. When he heard of they were raising funds for a memorial, Vic pledged to support the Shane Patton Foundation to see this effort through to completion.
Remembering Frank R. Brownell III (1939 – 2025)
Sunday, June 22nd, 2025
GRINNELL, Iowa (June 18, 2025) – Brownells sadly announces the death of long-time family patriarch Frank Brownell, who successively held the positions of President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board at Brownells.
Frank passed away in Grinnell, Iowa on June 18, 2025, after a lengthy illness. He was six days shy of his 86th birthday.
For nearly six decades, Frank’s passion, vision, and generosity shaped not only Brownells, but the entire firearms community. Friends and customers alike remember him greeting “long lines of friends” at SHOT Show and the NRA Annual Meetings, championing gunsmithing, and driving industry innovation.
“Frank was the kind of person who made you better just by being around him.” Pete Brownell, CEO of Brownells and Frank’s son.
A Life of Service and Contribution
Born June 24, 1939, in Montezuma, Iowa, the second child and only son of Brownells founder Bob and his wife Lois, Frank grew up in Iowa and became involved in both the family business and the American gun industry at an early age. Frank graduated magna-cum-laude with a degree in Advertising from the University of Iowa in 1961 before serving aboard the USS Caliente (AO-53) as a U.S. Navy reservist.
In 1965, he joined Brownells full-time, laying out Big Book Catalog #18, and soon helped publish the first Gunsmith Kinks book in 1969 under the name F. Brownell and Son.
Frank became President in 1983, CEO in 2007, and Chairman of the Board in 2012, guiding Brownells for more than 40 years.
From marketing the now-iconic Latigo Sling at the 1964 NRA convention to elevating gunsmithing as a respected profession, his influence can be seen in countless shops, ranges, and workbenches across America.
A Legacy of Character
Beyond titles and accolades, Frank was cherished for his kindness, integrity, and infectious enthusiasm. Frank Brownell was a Navy veteran, a business leader, and a stalwart supporter of our unique American rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.
An industry innovator, he helped establish Brownells as a nationwide legacy retailer in the gunsmithing, gun parts, and firearms space. He helped advance the best model for working with and developing endemic industry media. He advocated for elevating gunsmithing to a respected profession and created new ways to support and develop the growth of gunsmithing, gun ownership, and gun culture.
A Life Remembered
Frank is survived by his three sons, Bob, Pete, and Matt Brownell, and their families. Service details will be shared once arrangements are finalized.
Friends, colleagues, and customers are encouraged to honor Frank by sharing memories, supporting aspiring gunsmiths, or simply spending time at the bench, just as he loved to do.
Passing of a Legend: Saying Goodbye to Doc Dater
Sunday, February 2nd, 2025The firearms industry lost a true legend on Wednesday, January 22nd, with the passing of Doctor Phil Dater. You may not know his name or his history. But if you know anything at all about suppressors, you definitely know his legacy.
I had the privilege to work for Phil at Gemtech for almost a decade, and I can truly say he will be missed.
Photos courtesy of JK Armament.
Dr. Phil Dater: Goodbye to a Suppression Pioneer
by Patti Miller
Doc Dater started with suppressors in the late 1950s, and as he used to love to recount in stories over the years, he created suppressors in the machine shop in the basement of a hospital where he worked. He tinkered over the years and officially started AWC in New Mexico, where he registered his designs and started production models for sale. He would later leave New Mexico for the Boise, Idaho area.
There, in the early 1990s, he created Gemtech.
For the next three decades, Phil would continue to build the company with his business partners, colleagues, and employees. Many of his designs from the early days through his time at Gemtech would be copied by competitors or used as the basis for the next generation of suppressors in the industry as we know it today. In addition to Gemtech, he would dedicate time and effort to share his vast knowledge base with others in the industry through seminars, writings, and mentoring others in the suppressor industry. That’s just a brief description of what he accomplished – his life was much more than that.
Anyone who knew Phil knew how passionate he was. He held strong beliefs about many things, including suppressors and sound suppression. At times, this would cause some heated debates regarding techniques or applications. But in the end, Phil really cared about the science and, more importantly, the people. While not always patient, he was usually ready and willing to help you learn.
I’m not going to lie and say that we always got along perfectly. I can honestly say there were many times we didn’t, but he never treated me any differently. He would go out of his way for those he cared about, and if you were one of the lucky ones he cared about, his generosity would know no bounds. He would strive to do what was right for those around him, and he was a man of his word. Phil went out of his way to take care of me as an employee at different times, and for that I’m extremely grateful. It was a testament to his overall caring and generous nature.
All I can say is that if you’re currently enjoying shooting suppressed, you need to thank Doc Dater. He will be very much missed, and the industry wouldn’t have been the same without him.
So, here’s the legend: may he rest in peace.
Learn more about the history of Gemtech or learn more about Doc Dater on RECOILweb or on Small Arms Defense Journal.
Patti Miller is a longtime industry/marketing maven with a passion for search and rescue work, overlanding, shooting suppressed, and mighty works of gardening. Learn more at Everything Miller.
You can read more of Miller’s work on Breach-Bang-Clear, the Cadre Dispatch, The Mag Life, and other publications.
PVA Statement – Passage of Elizabeth Dole Caregiver Bill, Urges President to Sign Swiftly
Tuesday, December 17th, 2024Paralyzed Veterans of America Issues Statement in Response to Passage of Elizabeth Dole Caregiver Bill, Urges President to Sign Swiftly
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 16, 2024) – Paralyzed Veterans of America National President Robert Thomas issues the following statement in response to Congress passing the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation is a comprehensive bipartisan package of bills that expands services for veterans, their families and caregivers, as well as their survivors across healthcare, education, benefits, and more. The bill now heads to the president’s desk.
“Paralyzed Veterans of America is grateful to Congress for passing the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, a critical step forward in supporting the families and caregivers of our nation’s veterans, especially those with catastrophic injuries and diseases, like MS and ALS. This bipartisan effort reflects a shared commitment to honoring the sacrifices of those who have served by ensuring they and their caregivers receive the vital supports they desperately need. As this legislation now heads to the White House, we urge President Biden to swiftly sign it into law. We are too close to enacting life-changing support for veterans and their caregivers to delay any longer.”
PVA has long called on Congress to pass the Elizabeth Dole Act. To learn more about PVA’s efforts on this issue, visit PVA.org/PolicyPriorities, or check out our PVA Caregiver Video Series at PVA.org/Caregivers.
