Never Forget - 9/11

I too remember that day. I was stationed at Fort Rucker AL. That was my first active duty station, boy was I wrong in thinking that was the active army haha....I got to work to see what everyone else was watching on TV. I new from that moment we were going to war. It was sad to see, and definitely changed life as we know it. Yesterday, a odd thought came to mind. Do you all remember getting on a plane and being able to see the pilot in action, flying the plane...I remember being able to drive right on Post at Fort Rucker, which changed as well. In the days and weeks, and a few months after, my normal job was not so normal. I was at one of 3 checkpoints searching cars coming onto base. When we remember 9/11 we can't forget those who perished, but we also need to remember the thousands who have died since fighting the war overseas.

I was in 6th grade, and heard about the first plane on the radio before walking into school and remember thinking it was a accident. I remember the teacher turned on the TV and we watched some of it.

I will never forget and it doesn’t seem like it was 18 years ago.

I was on the left coast. I was driving into work when it started. As I pulled into the parking lot at the police dept the radio started reporting the first plane. I walked through the back door into the training room and the tv was on and I watched as the second plane hit. I was shocked and so was every cop in the room. As the information unfolded we listened and watched. I had a good friend working in the pentagon, and my best friends brother was also attached there. Lemoore has the largest Naval Air station on the west coast 7 miles down the road. They went on high alert.

The next day I learned I had lost my friend and things were very different in this world.

As some may know or not know this day was the birth of the current Dept of Homeland Security. I was assigned to the second joint terriosm task force to be assembled in this country. The things I learned and witnessed during that assignment will forever be apart of me.

My prayers have always included the family and friends of those folks we lost that day and since as a result of that day. May God always bless them.

My brother and I worked the over night shift at the USPS. We were sleeping when my mom came busting through our house screaming the towers were hit by planes. I said "oh my god, Nostradamus was right". She then woke my brother who said the same thing.

Tuesday was our day off, but being so close to NYC many people called out from working trying to contact family members. We went in for overtime and the bomb squads had dogs and mirrors checking all of our cars with helicopters flying over head. All inbound trucks were searched and we were warned of Anthrax and possible "dirty bomb attacks" for which we were give iodine pills.

Many of our coworkers were reservists and soon deployed. Just before Halloween, anthrax was found in our building. After 2 weeks of working in dirty open warehiusee, we returned to find the FBI cleaned the wrong machines.

The ensuing months after 9/11 were scary and heartbreaking.

I don’t think any of us will forget and hopefully we won’t let our children or grand kids forget. My Grandfather was a navy man he died on D Day my Dad was 2 years old. My great Uncle was also a navy man, he was a POW for 6 years and on ship headed home that was blown up. My Uncle was Air Force he left for Vietnam two days out of high school. He died last year from agent orange exposure. My Daughter works for the Dept of Defense and her husband is a Colonial in the Army. He has done probably 7 or 8 tours to Iran, Afghanistan, and Korea. When my sons came of age they were required to register with Selective Services. Our freedom is not free. People have been dying for it since June 7, 1775. I guess that’s why illegal immigration bothers me so. Yes America was built by immigrants, but they wanted to be Americans. Illegals want to enjoy the luxuries of our country, make money and send it back to support their country and will never shed one drop of blood for this country. Sorry , but not sorry 9/11 was about some turbin heads that came here and we generously educated them to kill all those people. I’m not making a political statement nor asking for a debate just expressing my feels. 9/11 should of ever happen!