Nov. 8 Veterans Celebration Features 9/11 Pentagon Hero

Event Sponsored by Latino Advocates for Education and CSUF

October 30, 2008 :: No. 080

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Braman

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Braman was working at the Pentagon as the Army secretary’s cook on Sept. 11, 2001. It was a day he will never forget. The terrorist-hijacked American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the building, killing innocent Americans.

Braman and others were evacuated from the building, but then the Orange County native risked his own life to save others.

He dashed back into the burning Pentagon and reached through “a cloud of smoke” to rescue people. Braman saved three injured people, only one of whom survived.

In the days that followed the horrific attack, he used his skills as a U.S. Army Ranger to rescue others trapped in the building, in hopes of finding people alive. He found none.

Braman, who now lives in Alexandria, Va. with his wife and three daughters, will share his experiences as a 9/11 search and rescue worker at the 12th annual Veterans Day celebration Saturday, Nov. 8, at Cal State Fullerton.

Sponsored by Latino Advocates for Education Inc. and Cal State Fullerton, the 10 a.m. public event in the Titan Student Union will pay tribute to Mexican-American veterans. Admission and parking are free.

Veterans and their families are encouraged to attend the celebration, expected to draw more than 1,000 people.

“Our veterans must be honored,” noted Frederick P. Aguirre, president of Latino Advocates for Education and an Orange County Superior Court judge. “I urge everyone, including students, to attend this event or another Veterans Day event to honor our veterans who made it possible for all of us to enjoy our freedom and our way of life.”

Elected officials, color guard teams and local high school ROTC groups also will participate in the event. Latino Advocates for Education will sell books, including the recently published “Undaunted Courage — Mexican-American Patriots of World War II.” The book is a collection of photographs and profiles of more than 500 veterans and “Rosie the Riveters,” the millions of women who worked at factories to support the U.S. war effort.

“Most Americans do not know about the patriotic contributions made by Hispanics,” Aguirre explained. “For example, Hispanics have fought for our nation in every war, including the American Revolution and the Civil War. Our first admiral of the U.S. Navy in 1864 was Hispanic. Over 500,000 Hispanics, mostly Mexican-Americans, fought in World War II.”

Born in Orange, Braman spent the first few years of his life in Placentia on Aguirre Lane, before the family moved to El Toro (now Lake Forest). He currently assists combat veterans with their benefits and is the Virginia state representative for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, composed of former servicemen who ride motorcycles as a hobby and whose mission is to support all veterans.

Braman, who is Aguirre’s second cousin, comes from a Mexican-American family whose members valiantly served their country.

“My grandfathers served in the Army and Navy, and my grandmother and aunts were Mexican-American patriots who served as ‘Rosy the Riveters’ in California,” Braman said. “I come from a very long heritage of Mexican-American patriots who love, and will defend, the ideals of being an American.”

Braman suffered lung damage as a result of entering and re-entering the burning Pentagon to find victims. He received the Purple Heart for injuries he received in the 9/11 attack and a Soldier’s Medal for bravery when he risked his life to save victims and retrieve the Marine Corps flag, which was carried on a Space Shuttle mission.

Latino Advocates for Education, a nonprofit organization based in Orange, is dedicated to ensuring that Latino students in Orange County achieve academic excellence. For more information, visit www.latinoadvocates.org.

Media Contacts:
Frederick P. Aguirre, Latino Advocates for Education, 714-225-2499
Adriana Badillo, Student Affairs, 657-278-8280 or abadillo@fullerton.edu
Debra Cano Ramos, Public Affairs, 657-278-4027, 657-278-2414 or dcanoramos@fullerton.edu

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