In Memory OfCDR Patrick Dunn

CDR Patrick Dunn, 39, U.S. Navy, born in New Jersey January 31, 1962, died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The son of a WWII and Korean War Navy veteran, and younger brother to a Naval Academy graduate, Dunn's path was shaped early.

At 14, he committed himself to following in their footsteps by joining his high school's Navy ROTC program. His relentless focus and determination earned him admission to the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics. Commissioned by President Ronald Reagan, Dunn began a storied Navy career that would span nearly two decades and take him across oceans and into the heart of the Pentagon.

Dunn's love of the Navy and life at sea shone through as he served with distinction as Assistant Damage Control Officer aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He would later rise to Executive Officer on the USS La Salle (AGF-3) in Gaeta, Italy, where his wife, Stephanie, would climb to their rooftop to wave goodbye with a Navy flag each time his ship pulled away.

In late 2000, Dunn accepted a second tour at the Pentagon, joining the Chief of Naval Operations’ Concepts and Strategy Branch as a Surface Warfare Officer and Watch Commander. There, he was entrusted with monitoring global naval readiness and shaping long-range strategic operations.

Before leaving for work on September 11, 2001, Dunn kissed his then-pregnant wife, Stephanie, on the stomach for the first time and headed to work on a beautiful Tuesday morning. Shortly after arriving at the Pentagon, a day which began as any other was turned upside down when a plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Dunn immediately called his brother, James, who worked in Manhattan to make sure he was okay. A tidal wave of relief washed over him when his brother replied, "I'm fine. I never made it into the city."

After the brief but reassuring call, he resumed his duties in the Navy Command Center protect the country he loved so dearly. At 9:37 AM, just feet from where he was working to coordinate strategic responses across all military branches, Dunn was killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon.

His wife knew immediately that something was wrong. She never received the follow-up call he had promised after the first plane hit in New York. “It was like almost part of me left,” she later said. “My body knew. My life had just changed.”

Dunn wasn’t just a warrior. He was the peacemaker, provider, and protector in his large Irish family, a volunteer firefighter, a Navy football fan, a proud uncle, and a devoted husband. It didn't matter if it was cooking dinner for his mother’s birthday or teaching his nieces and nephews to ride bikes, he brought the same quiet dedication he gave to his country.

For his sacrifice, Dunn was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and laid to rest amongst his fellow Heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. While he is no longer with us in body, his memory will live on every time his name, carefully chiseled on beautiful, smooth marble, is read on memorials across the country he called home.

Fair winds and following seas, Hero! Til Valhalla, Brother!