AUTHORS

Blog: ANC Blog

9/11 Pentagon Survivor Dedicated 40 Years to Government Service

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/17/2025

On Sept. 11, 2001, Lois Stevens was attending a meeting on the second floor of the Pentagon’s outer ring when the lights went out and the room buckled. Although she did not realize it at the time, the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 had just crashed into the building a short distance from her conference room. But Stevens made it to safety with the help of her colleague, Army Lt. Col. Marylin Wills and other survivors. 

“I’ve Waited 80 Years for This Closure:” Family Mourns World War II POW Identified in 2024

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/17/2025

In the spring of 1945, Betty Buttala was just 8 years old when her uncle, without explanation, picked her and one of her brothers up early from school and drove them to their Chicago home in silence. When Betty entered the house, she found her mother on the floor, crying. Her mother had just received a telegram stating that her son Justice, a prisoner of war in Japan, had been killed in a prison fire. One by one, Betty’s five other siblings arrived home to learn their brother’s fate. “It was the saddest day of our lives to see our mother crying,” Betty said. “It was just a crying day.” 

From Vietnam Jungles to Keeping the World on Time: Honoring Marine Corps Capt. Frederick W. Smith

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/10/2025

Before Frederick W. Smith founded Federal Express (later renamed FedEx) in 1973, he was leading Marines through the jungles and cities of Vietnam and flying over the country as a forward air controller. Later in his life, he would attribute his leadership style to his service in the Marine Corps.

From German Skies to Arlington, 80 Years Later

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/6/2025

“Fighters at 6:00 high!” Tech. Sgt. Lynn M. Farnham shouted to the nine men in his B-17 “Flying Fortress” bomber over Germany. Those were the last words they heard from the 20-year-old top turret gunner/engineer. As he alerted the crew, shrapnel from a 20mm shell tore into his legs. Soon, the aircraft’s pilot gave the bail-out order and Farnham was last seen slumped behind Lt. Bill May’s co-pilot seat. May had also been killed. The other eight men successfully escaped the stricken bomber before it crashed outside of Langquaid, Germany. 

The Call to Serve: An Army MP Honors the Unknown Soldiers

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/3/2025

Sgt. Kaylee Johnston wanted to join the Army when she was in middle school, but she worried about her parents’ reaction. Growing up, she was captivated by stories of courage and heroism, particularly in war films; however, she decided to attend college instead. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she was sent home from school, she decided it was her chance to join. Within five years of joining the Army, Johnston found herself guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy of Sacrifice: A Military Family Brings Missing Crewman Home

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/2/2025

Dale Danneker was only two months old when his uncle, U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John “Jack” H. Danneker, was killed in the skies over Europe during World War II. On June 20, 1944, Danneker was serving as the left waist gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber, attacking enemy facilities in Politz, Germany, when the bomber collided with another in the same formation. Danneker’s B-24 spiraled into the Baltic Sea near Langeland Island, Denmark. Two men from its 10-man crew survived the crash and were taken as prisoners of war. The others, including 19-year-old Danneker, could not be recovered. 

From Corpsman to Doctor: The Legacy of Jon Bayer

By Kevin M. Hymel on 10/1/2025

U.S. Navy Corpsman Jon Bayer risked his life to save wounded Marines in Vietnam before finding the love of his life and becoming a doctor. He served with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the dividing line between North and South Vietnam, from 1966 to 1967.  

Five Years as a POW: U.S. Navy Capt. Edward Dale Estes and the Family That Waited for Him

On Jan. 3, 1968, a surface-to-air missile shot down U.S. Navy Capt. Edward Dale Estes’ A-4 Skyhawk aircraft over North Vietnam. Estes ejected from his damaged aircraft and landed safely, only to spend 1,898 days—more than five years—as a prisoner of war. For the first two years of his imprisonment, his wife and two young sons did not even know his fate. 

From Vietnam to U.S. Marshalls: Lifetime Public Servant Honored at ANC

Arlington National Cemetery held a special place in the heart of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) William “Bill” Casteel Jr. When Casteel was stationed at nearby Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, he met his wife, Catherine Boatright Casteel. "He always wanted to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery due to its history of honor, tradition and legacy. He enjoyed the sense of pride and peacefulness he felt when he visited the cemetery, and wanted to ensure his service and sacrifice would not be forgotten after he was gone," said Hillary Hillmann, his step-granddaughter.

Friends and family gathered at ANC on Sept. 4, 2025, to honor Casteel’s life and legacy. Born in southwest Virginia as one of eight children, Casteel demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service, family and community.

Strength in Fellowship: Arlington National Cemetery Reflects on 9/11

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, team members working at Arlington National Cemetery were preparing for a day conducting funerals for America’s military service members and their families. For many, their workday had just begun when, at 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 soared past the cemetery’s serene landscape and crashed into the Pentagon. Plumes of dark smoke coming from the building contrasted with the meticulously uniformed white grave markers in the background. As the dust finally settled during the following days, Americans heard a call for national unity. As the years passed, many who gave their lives in the subsequent war would be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.