Eric Jones, Pentagon 9/11 Survivor, Works at USS Hornet

Eric Jones survived the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, and today he works at the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum in Alameda, CA, where he mentors Bay Area youth using what he went through that day.

• Who: Eric Jones, who was injured in the Pentagon attack and helped others in the aftermath.
• Where: The USS Hornet Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda.
• What he does now: Works at the museum and mentors Bay Area youth, pointing them toward what he calls a better path.
• Source: First reported by KTVU FOX 2 on Sept. 14, 2026.

Who is Eric Jones?

He's a Pentagon survivor whose life changed on a single morning in 2001. Jones was hurt in the attack and, even while injured, helped other people get out. That's the kind of day that doesn't ever fully leave you, and it didn't for him. He's spent years since working through the PTSD that followed, and KTVU's report on his story is the first place his path to Alameda showed up publicly.

What does he do at the USS Hornet now?

Jones works at the museum, which is docked at 707 W Hornet Ave on the Alameda waterfront, and he mentors Bay Area youth there. He's using what he survived to help point young people toward a better path, rather than letting it just sit as something painful. It's a quiet kind of service, the sort that doesn't come with headlines of its own until a reporter goes looking for it.

Why does the USS Hornet matter here?

The Hornet isn't just a backdrop. It's a real aircraft carrier, designated CV-12, that served from World War II through the Vietnam War and helped recover the Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts, the first two crews to walk on the moon. It's now a Smithsonian Affiliate museum that runs field trips, overnight stays and distance learning for kids around the region. That mix of history and hands-on programming is exactly why a mentor with Jones's story fits there. Alameda residents who've toured the ship know it's built for exactly this kind of teaching moment.

What this means for Alameda

It means one more thread connecting the city's biggest floating landmark to the people who actually work inside it. Jones's story surfaced right around the anniversary of Sept. 11, and it's a reminder that the Hornet isn't just a place you visit once on a field trip. People who survived hard things sometimes end up teaching there. If you want to see the ship and its programs for yourself, the museum posts visit and field trip details on its own site. For more local stories like this one, see our community coverage.