Rememberance...5 years and counting

Tuesday, September 11, 2001:

I booked it across campus looking at my watch. I was late for statistics, my 9:10 class. As I rushed in the door and took my seat, they had just started prayer requests. Jen, a fellow poli-sci major, asked us to pray because a small plane had just crashed into one of the WTC towers. Chris, yet another poli-sci major, who sat behind me leaned forward. "What an idiot pilot, huh?"
"Yeah," I replied, "I guess they give licenses to everyone now." An inside joke because Chris was working towards his license as well. About that time, Rob, Chris' cousin and yet another poli-sci major, came flying in the room, this was strange for a few reasons, number one being that he wasn't in our Statistics class. He motioned for Chris to come over, they went outside, and Chris came back in with a look on his face. "They've just crashed another plane into the other tower. They think that it is a terrorist attack." We tried to turn on the TV in the room, it didn't work, and of course, here I am just over a month out of AIT and I am ready to kill someone. We pray for the people in New York City, and then we try to get back to statisitics when Rob knocks on the door again. "They just hit the Pentagon." That is all I needed to hear. "Umm, I am going to go check in with my unit," I tell the professor as I am walking out of the classroom. Needless to say class dismissed a little early that day. I called my unit from the nearest phone, and, of course, nobody knew what was going on. I ran to my dorm, went to my friend's room, they had cable, and entered the door just in time to see the replay of the first tower falling. Of course, a few minutes later, the other tower collapsed. I tried to call Mandi on her cell, no answer. So, I ran to the spot where we designated to meet right before chapel. I told her, as I was dragging her to the Conn Center, everything that was going on. Of course, she thought it was a joke or something, until we got inside the CC and on the big screens are pictures of what was going on...

September 11 has a special place in my heart not because of who I lost, I don't know anyone who was lost in those attacks, but because of my tour in Iraq. The reason for the title of my blog today is telling as well. While we remember the past today, it is important that we also reflect on the future. We are in this for the long haul, not just because that is what has been asked of us. That, my friends, is what has been requred! Do we like to fight wars? No, but we do so, so our childrend may not have to. Do we like to feel loss? No, but we do so that the sacrifices of a few will translate into the freedoms for many. So, as we reflect on the past and remember the future. Let us keep our eyes on the prize, for if we lose sight of victory, this one incident will not be the only one on our calendar to remember.