Randy and Elizabeth Sullivan Remember Sept. 11, 2001

Randy Sullivan was in Washington, D.C., working as a computer security manager for the U.S. Naval Intelligence on Sept. 11, 2001. A group of his co-workers was at the Pentagon that day. Eight of them died.

“I could see the smoke coming up from the Pentagon,” Randy recalled.

He immediately phoned Elizabeth Sullivan, his girlfriend at the time, to let her know that he was OK. She was in Richmond, VA.

“I could hear the F16s flying overhead,” Elizabeth said. “It was just a surreal experience.”

Randy and Elizabeth now own on Temple Terrace Highway, but in the six months after the terrorist attacks, Randy wasn’t allowed to travel more than an hour outside of Washington, D.C. He needed to be close to the Capitol in case there was another attack.

“It was scary,” he said. “It’s just the unknown. We didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Randy and his colleagues were also involved in the clean up of the Pentagon, making sure nothing was left on the hard drives of any of the damaged computers.

Randy and Elizabeth married in 2005. Then, Randy retired in 2006, and the couple moved to Temple Terrace to be closer to his mother. They opened in 2010.

Randy and Elizabeth said they try to support U.S. troops as often as possible. If Elizabeth knows of customers who are serving or have served in the military, she said she makes sure to thank them. They also have special discounts for customers with military identification during patriotic holidays.

“We love our country,” Elizabeth said.

The couple knows the dangers that soldiers face first-hand. Since the attacks, three of their combined seven children and one of their 10 grandchildren have served in the military.

Their son, Michael Queen, 29, served two tours in Afghanistan as a door-gunner on a Blackhawk helicopter and as a pilot. During his last tour, his helicopter was shot up, and he received concussive head trauma that resulted in a fractured jaw. He developed Epilepsy from the trauma and had to be medically retired. He’s now on anti-seizure medication.

Their daughter, Melissa Sullivan, 30, is stationed in Fort Drum, NY, and just made staff sergeant in the 10th Mountain Division.

Their son, Ryan Sullivan, 26, just graduated from basic training at Fort Benning, GA.

Their grandson, John Hines, 24, was a combat medic in Iraq and is now studying nursing at the Galen College of Nursing in Texas.

At any time, Melissa, Ryan or John could be called to serve abroad.

“Everyday we feel the affects of the tragedy on Sept. 11 because we have children in active duty,” Elizabeth said. “And you never know.”