Evacuation of White House Residence Staff on September 11, 2001

In this photograph, White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (fourth from left, wearing chef's hat) reunites with members of the White House pastry team at the corner of H Street and Connecticut Avenue near Lafayette Square following the evacuation of the White House on September 11, 2001. Although White House Chief User Gary Walters issued the evacuation notice to White House Residence staff following the terrorist attacks that morning, communication regarding the evacuation was difficult due to a lack of government-issued communication devices carried by White House staff. Unable to reach his colleagues working in the White House Pastry Shop, Chef Mesnier relied on his large chef's torque for his staff to identify him among the crowd of evacuees outside the White House.