Sperry family still holds out hope for missing son

Monday, September 17th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Several Oklahomans are still awaiting word on loved ones who are missing at the Pentagon after last week's tragedy. Brain Moss was working in the Pentagon when it was attacked. As News on Six reporter Tami Marler explains, the terror is not as far away as it may seem.

Homecoming over the weekend in Sperry took on a whole new significance. Not even bad weather could keep residents from coming out to cheer on the Pirates, and celebrate the little things that mean so much in the wake of such destruction. Charles Thompson, Sperry Resident: "It's the world. I mean they just attacked us and destroyed the two biggest buildings in the United States."

Brian Moss is an electronics technician 2nd class. Brian Moss was in his second week in his new office, on the first floor of the Pentagon, when a hijacked airliner slammed into a nearby section of offices. Angie Moss, Brian Moss' Sister: "I figured he was in the safest place in the world...other than the white house. As a matter of fact, even after we heard the news of what happened, we thought, what are the chances of it being Brian?â€ But Angie Moss says, no one has seen or heard from her brother since Tuesday. â€œWe never got a call from Brian, we never heard from him - his cell phone - of course you just get his voicemail. Still haven't heard. It's been hard."

Larry Briggs, Sperry Businessman: "Well you don't think about an event happening two thousand miles away affecting a little community like Sperry, but to have one of our own be involved in a plane crash and we don't know if he's alive or just missing, but it's really brought home the reality of the tragedy to the town of Sperry." But these terrorist acts will not dim the spirits of small-town Oklahoma. Here in Brian Moss' hometown of Sperry, hope is alive. Angie Moss: "I mean it's amazing how these people come together. I see it on TV all the time, but it's here happening, and it's just unreal. Right now it's a lot of up and down emotions. We're thankful for the firefighters found at the World Trade Center alive, walking out. We're hoping to say the same about Brian.â€

Brian Moss' family imagines what it will be like when he's finally found. Tara Garrison, Brian Moss' neice: "He will be embarrassed; and he'll be happy that we didn't give up hope." And neither did his hometown.