geo irving

Hopefully some of the USA Fodorites here can help me. <BR> <BR>I have a friend who works at the Pentagon. In the UK they have published an emergency telephone number for anyone worried about relatives and friends who may have been harmed. Unfortunately I've been trying for hours now but the line has been constantly busy. <BR> <BR>I've also been calling his home from mid-afternoon up until 5 minutes ago but haven't been able to contact him. <BR> <BR>Is there an emergency USA number for relatives and friends to call? I'm getting frantic here trying to get info about him. <BR> <BR>Geo <BR>

Tom

Geo, not one published yet that I know of, but the White House indicated they are working on it. <BR> <BR>One report had the Army as the tenant in the section of the Pentagon that was hit, specifically logistics management. Don't know if that helps or hurts. A search and rescue/recovery team was said to be forming a couple of hours ago, perhaps more. <BR> <BR>Even with phone numbers available I suspect it will be days in many cases before ids of victims or survivors become clear. The Pentagon merely looks like a severe disaster. Reports from the WTC site suggest that when we get to see it, the images will be beyond imagination.

Book Chick

George, <BR>Please accept my heartfelt feelings of compassion. A close friend of mine was in the WTC today, but is thankfully unharmed & another friend of mine works for NY city government, so I can very well appreciate what you've been through. <BR> <BR>The good news is that while some people in the Pentagon building were injured, no one who was in the building has died because of the terroristic act. The most recent wing added to the Pentagon is where the fire was & thank goodness, is affecting mostly army logistic records. <BR> <BR>I know this is not the news you were seeking & I apologize. I will see if I can hunt up a number for you, as some of our news web sites are now posting them. Your friend might not be home yet, as some roads have been closed & I believe the public transit has shut down. <BR>God Bless & Keep a Good Thought, <BR>BC

Christina

George, I have a phone number where they want Pentagon employees to call in so they can tally up who is accounted or unaccounted for, but I haven't seen one for the other side. I think it is way too early for that, unfortunately, they don't even know themselves yet. Some employees were taken to about 6 different local hospitals, the majority in Virginia, of course. Your friend may be out somewhere and depending on his route, it could take him longer to get home, although I think everyone was evacuated before noon. I think you should just try later on tonight, although I know that's difficult due to the time difference. You don't say where your friend lives, but some bridges and routes between Virginia and DC were closed, so if he lives in DC or Maryland, it will take him a lot longer to get home than usual.

geo irving

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your help. <BR> <BR>Unfortunately I don't know which part of the Pentagon my old friend works. <BR> <BR>We first met when he worked at the American Embassy in Paris and we have been in regular touch ever since. He has spent some time with us here in the UK over the years and he looked after us so well when we visited Washington a few years ago. <BR> <BR>I'll keep trying the UK number and his home number until I hopefully get a response. <BR> <BR>My best wishes to all of you at this difficult time. <BR> <BR>Very many thanks. <BR> <BR>Geo <BR>

Book Chick

Geo, <BR>The NY Times online just updated their emergency contact numbers. Not certain this will work from the UK, or if it's the one you already have, but the # they gave for Pentagon info is: <BR> <BR>877-663-6772 <BR> <BR>Best Wishes, <BR>BC

Linda

Unfortunately, I believe you will not be able to call that 877 number from outside the States, since it is a toll-free number, just like the 800 numbers. All of the emergency contact numbers that have been published for us are toll-free and won't work from outside the USA. Sorry.

Ann

I hate to be the one to add this, but they have now revised the death toll at the Pentagon to 100-800 people. We were hearing that there were no fatalities simply because they were concentrating on getting the injured out.

Linda

Geo, have you heard anything yet? If no, e-mail me the information--your friend's rank and name (middle initial too if you have it). My e-mail information above is correct. I'll make the call, then e-mail the response back to you. I'm about ready to leave for school, and will not return until about 10.00 tonight your time, but will get on it as soon as I return. It will be mid-afternoon for me, so I'll have plenty of time to keep trying.

Arabella

This web site is listed on MSN as a source for names of survivors and emergency numbers: http://www.shunn.net/okay

geo irving

Hi everyone. <BR> <BR>I'm very pleased to say that our friend called us late this afternoon to say that he is OK. He was in the building yesterday when it was hit but was unharmed although understandably he's in a state of shock. <BR> <BR>Around 01.00 UK time I got through to the helpline Scotland Yard had set up and they advised that they had yet no lists of killed or injured. They did give some good info though about means of contact bearing in mind the difficulties in getting through to the USA by telephone. The lad was good enough to also take Chris's details and said he'd contact us if he could get any information. <BR> <BR>Linda, I very much appreciate your kind offer. Indeed, the help and info given to me here by everyone sums up, in my mind, the kindness of those using this forum. <BR> <BR>Your European friends appreciate the heartbreak you folks are suffering at the moment and in many ways feel frustrated that we can’t do something to help. <BR> <BR>Kind regards to all, <BR> <BR>Geo <BR>

Book Chick

Geo, <BR>Thank you for checking back with us & telling us about your friend. I am so happy he's alive. Both of my NYC friends (as well as a number of NYC Fodorites I've enjoyed posting & e-mailing with)have also checked in & are unharmed. <BR> <BR>Any support we can/could give you is most available here on this forum. I (and I'm quite sure the other American Fodorites) very much appreciate the outpouring of sympathy we've received from our friends in the UK, in all of Europe & from so very many members of our "global village", planet earth. The old adage, "when things look bleak, you always find your friends first" was surely true yesterday, one of the darkest days in the history of our country. <BR> <BR>So thanks, Geo & come back here any time! <BR>BC