Kirk Lippold

Commander Kirk Lippold, former commanding officer of the USS Cole, shares his gripping account of the Al Qaeda attack in 2000 that killed 17 sailors. He discusses the heroic actions of his crew during and after the catastrophe, revealing the technical challenges of stabilizing the ship with a 40-foot hole. Lippold highlights the lack of pre-9/11 terrorism awareness and the frustrating delays in bringing the attack's mastermind to trial. His reflections on the incident's impact on military morale and preparedness are both poignant and revealing.