The 2996 Project: Brenda C. Gibson - 9/11 Victim, Pentagon
Brenda C. Gibson was a budget analyst for the Pentagon.
She loved her job.
She could have retired, but she chose to keep working.
She was so dedicated she postponed a major surgery.
She didn’t want her department to be short-staffed during the busy end of the budget year.
And so, Brenda C. Gibson got up that Tuesday morning, like she would have any Tuesday morning.
But it wasn’t just any Tuesday.
It was September 11, 2001.
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Are you ready for some FOOTBALL??
Brenda was.
She loved her Washington Redskins and was known to sing the fight song on the phone to her four sisters after every touchdown.
(Her husband likes the Dallas Cowboys. Would have been fun to be a fly on the wall in that house during football season!)
“The Queen of Redskin Statistics”; a title bestowed to Brenda by her family.
But she also loved baseball and boxing. Mr. Gibson said she knew more about sports than he did!
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How can you not love a woman who reads Mad Magazine and comic books?
At 59 years old!
Get out!
Her grand-daughter, Raven-Symone, will turn 8 this year.
Brenda adored her. Described her as her “heart and soul”.
I imagine Brenda was a pretty fun grandma to have around.
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This year would have marked the Gibsons’ 40th wedding anniversary, although they knew each other long before they graduated from Howard University.
Their son, Eric turns 39 this year.
Mr. Gibson said that Brenda cared for everybody, and did everything she could for her family. At the time of the attacks, Brenda’s mom had Alzheimers and her dad was in a nursing home.
It was said that if you could assign a word, a theme to Brenda’s life, that word would be “caring”.
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Add a passion for old coins with a Buffalo Soldier collection to all that we already know about Brenda and you come up with one amazing lady.
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Brenda C. Gibson was at her desk on September 11, 2001 when she was killed by terrorists flying hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon.
At the time, her husband was quoted as saying that he was trying to keep himself from being angry and bitter about the attack; that perpetuating anger from generation to generation won’t solve the problem.
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Brenda, regrettably, I probably never would have met you in life. But I am honored to have been the person to represent you and to celebrate your life on this, the fifth anniversary of your departure from this earth.
If anyone in Brenda’s family is reading this or would like to add more information, please feel free to comment.
As for me, I’m trying my best to take Mr. Gibson’s advice to heart.
Rest in Peace, Brenda.
You are missed.
Hail to the
Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the warpath,
Fight for old D.C.!
Run or pass and score
We want a lot more!
Beat ‘em Swamp ‘em Touchdown
Let the points soar!
Fight on, Fight on,
Til you have won,
Sons of Wash-ing-ton!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
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Thanks to The Washington Post, AP, washingtonpost.com and to Jonathan Pitts fromThe Baltimore Sun from whose articles this information was obtained.
You must see this tribute at The Super Adventures of Ben and Noah. Take Kleenex.
Mother Kitty invites us to check out her tribute to Cynthia Wilson at her blog, MotherKitty.
Check out this tribute to Terrence Adderley at Planck’s Constant.
Laura Gilly is remembered by many at My Own Thoughts.
Check out the other 2995 tributes at: 2996
cathy
September 10, 2006 at 12:02 am
Kim, this was a beautiful Tribute! We will not ever forget.
My Tribute for Adam K. Ruhalter is up also.
Justice
September 10, 2006 at 12:06 am
My deepest sympathies go out to The Gibson Family….
Blessings,
~ ~ Justice
Remembering Edward
motherkitty
September 10, 2006 at 7:17 am
What a lovely tribute to a lovely lady. I wish I had known her in real life. My condolences to her family who will remember her with love tomorrow and every day of their lives.
Thanks for your comments on my site. Please invite your readers to view my special tribute to Cynthia Wilson who died when WTC Tower 1 fell.
bernie
September 10, 2006 at 12:46 pm
So many wonderful people - great tribute.
I linked to your tribute from 2996 tribute to victims of 9/11 - Terrence E Adderley
Dr. A
September 10, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Well done. We will never forget.
Moof
September 10, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Kim … beautifully done! Thank you so much for all of the “heart” you’ve put into this. I was able to see Brenda Gibson as warm and alive.
You have a real gift.
Health-Psych
September 10, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Brenda really sounds like a fun person. What a terrible loss for her family and friends. A great tribute.
Nicole
September 10, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Beautifully written tribute. My husband’s contribution to 2996 (a memorial to the uncle of his best friend) will be up soon.
Melissa
September 10, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Beautiful tribute. I’m also glad that someone from the Pentagon was remembered. People talk about the World Trade Center and tend to forget the other victims.
Qualicum RN
September 10, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Kim…what a wonderful tribute you did Brenda poud and how wonderful for the family that you took the time to make the tribute to her. My prayers go out to the Gibson family. Thank you for sharing a part of her life with me.
Jo
September 10, 2006 at 9:19 pm
Beautiful tribute Kim! I signed up too, You can read mine on my site.
Dawn
September 11, 2006 at 5:53 am
Wonderful job Kim, especially remembering the victims at the Pentagon.
This is such a hard day for my family as well. My cousin Alan would have been 58 this year. I have a very brief memorial to him on my blog.
Mel
September 11, 2006 at 8:24 am
Great tribute, Kim. And here I was all set to pull against the Redskins tonight because I’m a Dallas fan. Brenda - this one’s for you. Your sacrifice will always be remembered.
Suzi
September 11, 2006 at 9:10 am
Brenda sounds like she was a fun person to know, enough energy that she was willing and able to keep going. What I wonder is why her sisters answered the phone after every touchdown!!! What a joy that would have been. How funny. I bet they miss it.
We must remember. Thank you for helping us to remember Brenda.
I wrote about Laura Gilly.
Flight Pundit » Blog Archive » Rodney James Wotton, a tribute to life
September 11, 2006 at 10:58 am
[...] Brenda C. Gibson (Pentagon) Emergiblog [...]
beastarzmom
September 11, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Thanks for this - I was honored to remember the life of Keith Glascoe, from Ladder 21 - FDNY.
I got involved in this because of your entry about 2996. Thank you.
To Learn about Keith Alexander Glascoe:
http://beastarzmom.blogspot.com/2006/09/we-remember-we-care-keith-glascoe-1962.html
(sorry, I don’t know how to make that a link instead of writing it out!)
Mysterious Lady
September 11, 2006 at 5:28 pm
What a beautiful tribute! Very well done. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Sid Schwab
September 11, 2006 at 6:35 pm
I knew I’d like her when I saw her picture. And you brought her to life.
Kim
September 12, 2006 at 4:06 am
Kim,
Excellent tribute. Did you notice the 2996 project site was down most of yesterday? I hope it was because too many visitors crashed it. My tribute is (still) up at my site as well to Capt. David T Wooley, NYFD.
Fat Doctor
September 12, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Thanks for the moving tribute, Kim. Also, may I shamelessly ask your readers to read my post about Neil R. Wright?