Captain Charles F. Burlingame

To those who knew him, Capt. Charles F. Burlingame's dependability was legend. "He was kind of a go-to guy," said Perry Martini, a former classmate of Captain Burlingame, a Navy fighter pilot many affectionately remember by his nickname, Chic. "If you needed something done and done right," Mr. Martini said, "you would call on Chic."

As a pilot, Mr. Burlingame, 51, captain of American Airlines Flight 77, was a perfectionist, and his attention to safety earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues. But Captain Burlingame's most valued quality, friends say, was his commitment to people. He personified the word classmate, Mr. Martini said, and as such, "he became family."

A graduate of the Naval Academy and the Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot school in Miramar, Calif., Mr. Burlingame accepted a position 12 years ago with American Airlines, where his wife, Shari, is a flight attendant.

He was to attend his 30-year college reunion, which he helped organize, the week after the attacks. Instead, former classmates from as far as Hong Kong gathered to honor their fallen brother, take in a Navy football game and reminisce.

"If Chic were around this weekend," Mr. Martini said, "he would be doing a lot of high-fives and hugs."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 12, 2001.

Bernard Curtis Brown II

Unlike many 11-year-olds, Bernard Curtis Brown II bounded out of his house every school day. "He lived to go to school,'' said his mother, Sinita. ''If he was sick, he would always say he was feeling better so he could get to school."

But before Bernard left, a few things had to be in order. His parents did not demand it, but Bernard's bed had to be made, his room straightened, and his clothes ironed before he stepped out into the world. ''Oh yes, he was a neat child,'' his mother said with a laugh.

He also awoke with a unusual energy. "He would just pop right up," his mother said. So she did not mind letting him stay up late to watch basketball on television.

An ambitious player, Bernard had just bought a pair of Air Jordan basketball shoes and was wearing them on Sept. 11 on a flight to California as part of a trip sponsored by the National Geographic Society. A Washington resident, he was enlivened by the prospect of Michael Jordan running the court for his hometown Wizards.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 12, 2001.

Yeneneh Betru

Yeneneh Betru, 35, of Burbank, California, director of medical affairs with IPC.

Dr. Paul Ambrose

Paul Ambrose, 32, of Washington, D.C., a senior clinical adviser with the Office of the Surgeon General.

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Welcome to the 911 Blog

Welcome to the 911 Blog. This is where you can share your memories and thoughts of September 11th and pay your respects to the heroes and victims.

If you lost a friend or family member in the tragedy that you would like to honor, you can add your own Posting or Tribute to them here.

You can include photos and images in your Postings. There's a new button for uploading photos in the interface you will see when you click to “Add your own Posting”. You can also include a link in your Posting to help direct people to your own website or another website where information you want to share resides.

Just click on the picture icon and you can upload an image from your computer or from the web.