SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — Family, friends and members of the Vermont Air National Guard are preparing to say goodbye to Terry Moultroup, the pilot and former Huntington selectboard member who captured a widely seen image of an F‑16 flying above Manhattan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Moultroup died Aug. 29 at home after a long illness; he was 64.
Service in the Guard and a lasting image
Moultroup’s military career began while he was in college, when he joined the Vermont Air National Guard. He served as an F‑4 pilot and later transitioned to flying the F‑16, the fighter jet he piloted during the deployment that led to the photograph that many associate with that period.
The photograph shows an F‑16 in flight with smoke rising from Manhattan in the background. The image was taken in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks and has been widely circulated in remembrances and reports about that day and its immediate aftermath.
Local service beyond the cockpit
In addition to his military service, Moultroup was active in local government. He served on the selectboard in the town of Huntington for several years, taking part in civic matters in his community. According to his obituary, he died peacefully at his Richmond home after a long illness.
Friends and colleagues described him as a committed pilot and public servant. The funeral service is scheduled for Sept. 13 in Jericho.
Family requests and memorial details
Instead of flowers, Moultroup’s family has asked that contributions be made to UVM Home Health & Hospice. The request reflects the role hospice care played at the end of his life and the family's wish to support those services.
- Age at death: 64
- Date of death: Aug. 29
- Funeral: Sept. 13 in Jericho
- Requested memorial contributions: UVM Home Health & Hospice
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Military service | Vermont Air National Guard; F‑4 pilot, later F‑16 |
| Civic role | Member of the Huntington selectboard |
| Residence at time of death | Richmond, Vermont |
Why the photograph endures
Images from the days following Sept. 11 remain powerful visual records of a national crisis. Moultroup’s photograph, taken from the cockpit of an aircraft deployed to the region, put a military response into stark visual context: a fighter jet against a backdrop of smoke over the city. For many, such images help convey the immediate human and operational reactions that followed the attacks.
Veterans and aviation historians have pointed to photographs like Moultroup’s as important pieces of the historical record — documenting not just events on the ground, but also the movements and missions undertaken by military units in the hours and days after Sept. 11.
Community reaction
News of Moultroup’s death prompted expressions of sympathy across the Vermont Air National Guard and in the communities where he served. Colleagues remembered him for his professionalism as a pilot and his engagement as a local official.
Those who knew him say the family’s request for donations to hospice care reflects Moultroup’s values and the practical needs of families facing prolonged illness.
Further details about memorial arrangements, including visitation times and any public commemorations, have been provided in the obituary and by the family. The funeral on Sept. 13 will provide an opportunity for fellow service members, friends, and residents to pay their respects.
As Vermont and the nation approach another anniversary of Sept. 11, Moultroup’s image and his career will likely be part of local remembrances that connect personal loss, civic duty and the long shadow cast by that day.
