Rarely Seen 9/11 Footage From Moments After the Pentagon Was Hit Released Ahead of 25th Anniversary

New footage from moments immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, is being released ahead of the 25th anniversary.

The Pentagon Response Series — which features rare video of the Pentagon emergency response by the only civilian camera crew on site — is being released on YouTube through September, when the nation will mark the 25th anniversary of the attack.

In the first video of the series, Jude Coke (producer and editor on the series) explained that by noon on that day “we were standing in front of the Pentagon with access granted through the Arlington County Fire Department incident commander, documenting the response as it unfolded.”

She and cameraman Billy DeWeese were in Baltimore to produce a firefighter training video when Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m. They quickly pivoted and recorded the aftermath of the tragedy.

“When the events of 9/11 occurred, we kept recording,” Coke explained.

In the first video, as they are driving to the Pentagon, a voice is heard saying, “You can smell it.”

According to the Pentagon Response Series website, “For nearly twenty-five years, Jude Coke safeguarded the footage, recognizing its historical significance and feeling a responsibility to ensure the record would not be lost. Over time, her collection became the only known surviving complete archive of the footage. In 2024, she began the preservation effort to protect this rare visual record and make it accessible for future generations.”

Thus far, five videos in the six-part series have been released, with the most recent hitting YouTube on Friday, August 14.

The 9/11 Legacy Foundation presents the documentary series, which marks the first public presentation of this archive of material.

Remembrance and commemoration events will be held this year to mark 25 years since Islamic terrorist organization al-Qaeda hijacked multiple airplanes and attacked the United States.

The attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands more. It is the deadliest terrorist attack in history.