Let us never forget.....

9/11 - A day I will never forget. I remember driving to high school and hearing the news on the radio that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. Now I must admit, in my small town ignorance I truly did not even really know what the WTC was....other than that it sounded important. The radio coverage, did everything but make it out to seem like a life altering, world changing event. I didn't have a first period class so I went to talk to my cheerleading sponsor who had a tv in a classroom across from her office and that is when I saw live coverage of the 2nd plane flying into the 2nd tower. I honestly thought it was showing video of the first plane crash until I heard the shear terror in the voice of the reporter and the shrill cries of people in the background. I will never forget the illness that fell over me when the reports began to change from a possible accident, to an act of terror. Little did I know then, how my life would be so directly affected by the events of that tragic day. Eight years later, I still get that same ill feeling in the pit of my stomach and the tears still well in my eyes when pictures are shown. For many people it is easy to forget that we are in the midst of war. For me and so many of my very dear friends it is a fact of life that we are reminded daily of by deployments, redeployments, training and the security on post.

I have been dreading this day all week, perhaps it is because of the nauseated feeling I still get when I see pictures and footage of that days events or perhaps it is because I wonder how different my life would be if that day had never happened. Either way, this day is necessary. It is necessary that we remember those that fell that fateful day and those that gave their lives that day to save another. It is also necessary that American's who are otherwise not affected by the events of 9/11, remember the sacrifices that so many men and women make everyday to preserve and protect our freedoms. This land is great because we have people like the firefighters, police and emergency crews that responded that day and it is great because of people like my husband who volunteer to protect our country from events like 9/11.

Let us never forget.