Birdwell was one of the individuals who was severely burned as a result of the attack on the nation and currently serves as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management at the Pentagon. Birdwell has appeared on national television on several occasions and has been invited to speak at many other locations.
“We feel honored to have him come to the Sandhills area,” said SCWC Chair, Deborah Savage, “and we are delighted that the Brass Quintet will be part of this special patriotic evening.”
An article in the Washington Post related Birdwell’s experiences on Sept. 11:
“He was surrounded by flames. There was no way out. He was on fire. He did something, he said, that was out of character. He gave up. It hurt him to think of his wife and child, 12-year old Matthew. He knew he would die. But then, ‘when I finally collapsed on the floor,’ he said, ‘I collapsed under a sprinkler.’ It has been a dark and painful course back toward the living. LTC Birdwell’s stay in intensive care lasted 26 days. His lungs were damaged by smoke. His face was terribly burned – as were his arms, his hands, his ears, his legs and his back. In less than a year, his recovery has been incredible. He has gotten by, he said, with the help of his religious faith and his wife, Mel, by his side.”
Birdwell is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and graduated from Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas in May 1984. He graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate through Army ROTC and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Throughout his career he has served in South Korea, Germany, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Central America, Kansas, Washington and the Pentagon. Birdwell has received many awards and decorations which include the Bronze Star Medal for action in the Gulf War, the Purple Heart for wounds received at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and many others.
