FORT KNOX, Ky. — On a beautiful September day last week, Teri Maude, widow of the late Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude, recounted her story of the death of her husband in the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001.
Lieutenant Gen. Timothy Maude was the highest ranking victim of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon, where he served as the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, G-1.
Teri Maude provided the keynote address for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command 9/11 remembrance ceremony held Sept. 10 at the Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude Complex, named in honor of her husband.
“In 2001, the Internet was still in its infancy. There was no Google, iPads or smartphones,” Maude said. “We turned on the television. We all saw [the attacks] at the same time, the same way, feeling the same emotions.”
Maude was on temporary duty in San Diego, California at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
“I remember the phone call I got from the Vice Chief of Staff. He told me things did not look good for DCSPER,” Maude said, referring to the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel section of the Pentagon.
According to Maude, the Vice Chief of Staff told her DCSPER had taken a really hard hit, and he asked her what he could do.
“I said, ‘You can get me out of here,’” Maude said.
However, there were no commercial flights available, and at the time, the only airplane flying was the President’s. “I told him, ‘Sir, I’m not picky,’” Maude said. “The Navy flew me out of San Diego the next morning.”
September 11, 2021, marked 20 years since the Al Qaida attacks on the Pentagon, World Trade Center and an unknown destination that ended when terrorists crashed the airplane in a field in Pennsylvania. All total, nearly 3,000 died in those attacks.
“We are here to remember and pay our respects to the 184 Americans who perished in the Pentagon,” said Maj. Gen. Tom Drew, U.S. Army Human Resources Command commanding general. “Included in that list of names is the namesake of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command Complex, Lt. Gen. Timothy Maude, G-1 of the Army.”
Another upcoming date will mark 20 years since the terrifying day when Teri Maude received the knock on her door with news about her husband.
“Tim’s remains were identified, and I received that dreadful visit by an officer and a chaplain on the 19th of September,” Mrs. Maude said. “Tim was buried in Arlington on 6 October 2001.”
What could have crippled a nation – a day of turmoil, chaos, pain and heartbreak – instead united the American people.
“September 11 was a day of tragedy, but it also prompted the reawakening of the American spirit that produced countless testaments of resilience of the American people,” said Roy Wallace, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff Army G-1. “We must never forget the stories that accompany that day – stories of fate, courage, heroism and hope.”
Many rose to the challenge to support, defend and care for the people of the United States of America, said Drew.
Quoting former President George W. Bush: “‘One of the worst days in America’s history saw some of the bravest acts in American history,’” Drew said. “’We will always honor the heroes of 9/11.’”
Sharing the stories and memories of that horrific day helps to teach American history to the world, said Wallace.
“We will never forget those that died Sept. 11 and the thousands of others who passed since then. I know that Lt. Gen. Maude, if he was here today, would be justifiably proud of what the personnel community has done in its accomplishments – you have been nothing short of amazing,” Wallace said. “He would urge us to continue to honor those who we lost that day by our continued service to this great nation and the Soldiers that support our freedom.
“I think there is no greater tribute to him or any of those we lost that day.”
How is history kept alive? By reminding others through the stories, sharing memories and never forgetting, said Drew.
“We must all live up to the oaths we’ve taken and the creeds we live by. Whether it’s the Warrior Ethos, Soldier’s Creed, Ranger Creed and many others, they all have one thing in common – ‘I will never leave a fallen comrade,’” Drew said. “Inherent in never leaving a fallen comrade is the duty to never forget the fallen.”
According to Maude, Army families reach out, take care, and they gather in. Human Resources Command has been tasked to take care of the Army’s most precious asset – its people. Everything done within the building is about people.
“I’m asking you to take on a renewed and special responsibility. It is the heart of what you are all about,” Maude said. “It’s the most important work you can do. It is a calling. It is a profession. It is a promise to take care of [Soldiers and their Families].”
The epitaph inscribed on Lt. Gen. Maude’s gravestone highlights this – “He took care of Soldiers.”
“Once you have done that, there is nothing more to say, and nothing more honorable you can do,” Maude said. “That is how we pay tribute to the 184 lives lost at the Pentagon.”
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