David Hopkins, 27, of Edgefield County, S.C., lost his stepfather, Maj. Stephen Long, in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Maj. Long's death was not confirmed until Monday, and Mr. Hopkins says he doesn't want any details. RON COCKERILLE/STAFF

Mr. Hopkins' stepfather, Maj. Stephen Long, was one of the estimated 125 who died inside the Pentagon after American Airlines Flight 77 struck it at 9:43 a.m. It was one of four planes hijacked that day.

The 39-year-old decorated Army Ranger was an aide to one of many generals inside the building that symbolizes America's military might. He was sitting in a windowless room in a meeting that he was not originally supposed to attend, Mr. Hopkins said.

''(The crash) couldn't have been more than two rooms away. It was very close,'' Mr. Hopkins, 27, said sitting on his couch in his home outside North Augusta in Edgefield County.

Maj. Long, who married Mr. Hopkins' mother, Tina, when Mr. Hopkins was 13, lived in Augusta for four years.

Mr. Hopkins says he usually wants to know as much as possible about big news events. But this time, because he knows his stepfather had to be identified by dental records, Mr. Hopkins said he would rather not know all the details. He has been given enough by officials.

''Normally I am one of those people,'' he said. ''But I'm scared I'll find out something I don't want to know ... if he was burned badly or injured badly because that might affect my memory of him. I might always wonder, though.''

The past week has been filled with doubt and hope. It was just Monday that officials finally confirmed Maj. Long was dead.

Maj. Stephen Long, 39, was a decorated Army Ranger and a general's aide. SPECIAL

On Sunday night, his body was found. It was sent to the military's Dover, Del., morgue, where most of the bodies found have been identified. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

When the plane crashed, the room Maj. Long was in filled with smoke. Before it collapsed, his stepson said, the people inside got down on their knees and grabbed each other's ankles to stay together as they hunted for an exit, Mr. Hopkins said.

The two colonels seated at the table on either side of Maj. Long survived, Mr. Hopkins said.

So many thoughts run through Mr. Hopkins' head as to why. Maybe they found an exit. Maybe they were quicker. And maybe his stepfather stayed behind to help.

''He's not one of those just out the door,'' Mr. Hopkins said. ''The Ranger motto is never leave a fallen comrade.''

Maj. Long was also an Airborne parachute trainer and had served twice in combat. He took part in the invasion of Grenada in 1983, spent seven months in Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War and went to Bosnia on a peacekeeping mission. He also found time to attend Augusta State University from 1985 to 1989.

He loved to be out with his troops, Mr. Hopkins said.

''It is ironic. He's been to all these skirmishes we've had - Bosnia, Saudi Arabia, Grenada - and he hasn't been killed,'' Mr. Hopkins said. ''But he has an office job and he gets killed.''

Mr. Hopkins said he wants justice for the terrorists, but said he doesn't have time for anger.

''I'm just getting used to the idea of living without him,'' he said.

Reach Matthew Boedy at (803) 648-1395 or mboedy@augusta.com.