‘A time of remembrance’: Rogers man recalls assisting first responders after 9/11 attacks
By Kameron Macrorie
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ROGERS, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — Sept. 11, 2025, marks 24 years since the deadly 9/11 terrorist attacks.
As Americans across the country remember and honor the lives lost, one Rogers man is sharing his experience in the aftermath of the attacks.
Chuck Stout said this week is a time to remember the loss, devastation and work it took to rebuild a community after tragedy.
“It’s something that devastated America,” Stout said. “For those of us who worked it, it’s an even worse memory.”
In 2001, Stout was the owner of a McDonald’s franchise in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
After the 9/11 attacks, he was called to help feed first responders who were working to recover the bodies of the fallen in the rubble of the buildings.
“He would drive us down to what they called the pit, which is the heart of the zone, where the two buildings did stand,” Stout said. “It was mostly firemen who were down there looking for their buddies.”
From Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, Stout delivered fresh meals to firemen, policemen and construction workers in the pit.
He said even 24 years later, he has not forgotten the horrifying conditions.
“We got out to feed these two gentlemen that were sweating like crazy, even though it was September,” Stout said. “We saw body parts on the fire escapes, and I would smell the atrocious smell.”
He recalled the thousands of first responders from across the country who came to assist with recovery efforts, working around the clock to find and identify any bodies that they could.
He said that despite the terror of these memories, year after year, he makes sure he never forgets this experience.
“Three thousand and six hundred people died that day, and some were injured, and there’s still people dying that helped clean up,” Stout said. “We have to remember that we are vulnerable.”
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