September 11th, 2001
To quote Alan Jackson: "Where were you when the world stopped turning?"
A date that for our generation will "live in infamy." They murdered 2,977 of us that day. All the victims had lives, families, and futures and dreams, and they were eliminated because they went to work that day. Many families never recovered from the loss of their loved ones.
A Cowardly Attack on Innocents
Besides the fact that we were attacked on our own soil and had our citizens killed; it was the death of private, hard-working citizens who were just trying to "live" that made the war deeply personal to me. Who can't relate to going into work and kissing your family goodbye and expecting to see them at the end of the day? I was on my way into work on the beautiful, clear Tuesday. I was listening to the radio when I heard. My own father was in the air travelling, and we were not sure where he was or if he was safe.
We All Lost Something
We all lost something that day. Te sense of being "unreachable" as we had been in previous world conflict was now dispelled. We could be struck, and hurt, by an unseen and unknown "sucker punch" thrown by desperate and angry cowards. To people who lost a loved one on 9/11, those who served, I'm certain means so much to them personally. In many ways these soldiers were avenging angels who were dispatched to serve justice on the unrighteous murders and their collaborators.
As a nation, as a people and as a society... we must never forget.
So, let's honor the blood and sweat that our brothers and sisters in arms shed in those unforgiving mountains, let's toast the bravery of those who walked those valleys each day, and lets honor the 2,325 fallen warriors who voluntarily answer the call and paid the ultimate price.
When we do these things, let us reflect on the sense of national unity we all shared. Let's remember how we were more patient in traffic because we suddenly knew there are more important things going on in this world. Let us pray we will never know this pain again, and let us never allow for there to be any forgotten Americans.