"She was a stray. David's father had a co-worker who found her wandering in the mountains. This was eight years ago. We went out to this woman's home and the dog walked right up to David and gave him a big lick. She was covered in tick bites but she was very cute and had a sweet disposition. David was very close to her. He took her everywhere." -- Tom Hay, partner

Profile:

David Charlebois, 39, the first officer on American Airlines Flight 77, died while flying one of his standard routes.

Friends said most of the 1400 block of Swann Street NW near Dupont Circle has been in mourning since his fate was learned. They described Charlebois, an Arlington native who graduated from Yorktown High School, as a warm, friendly man who took pride in his job, his appearance and the life he had built.

"He was handsome and happy and very centered," neighbor Travis White said. "His life was the kind of life I wanted to have someday."

Charlebois and his partner bought a large row house two years ago and turned it into one of the best-looking homes on the block, friends said. On weekends when he wasn't flying, Charlebois could be spotted landscaping.

He was very fond of what he called his "pound puppy," a border collie named Chance, and had been a core member of an informal dog-walking club at Meridian Hill Park.

Neighbor Mark Herzog said he visited Charlebois's house Tuesday morning to ask about reports of the World Trade Center crash, only to learn that he wasn't there and might be in jeopardy.

A relative answering the phone at his family's home in Front Royal, Va., said they were too upset to talk.

-- Carol D. Leonnig

Source: The Washington Post, AP and washingtonpost.com

The profiles in this feature were written in the months following Sept. 11, 2001.