Five years ago today, I woke up like any other Tuesday morning and got ready for work. I turned on the Today show and watched Matt and Katie cover the day's events like any other day. As I flipped off the television around 8:30 or so, I headed out the door to work.
The day was sunny with a pre-Autumn smell in the air and I loaded up a CD into my player for the ride to work. I was oblivious to how the world changed in that short ride to work. As I entered my office, I was bombarded by co-workers in chaos telling me what was going on.
At that point, our life in the United States changed.
The day seems somewhat of a blur. We were all sent home around 11am because we clearly were pre-occupied with more important things of the day. Along with that, our parent company was located in Arlington, Virginia, right outside of DC, and was a defense contractor for the US government. Our communication with them that day ceased as the Pentagon was attacked and all the city was shut down as the job of rescue and recovery began.
Today we remember the day that changed our lives. We now are familiar with the phrase "homeland security." We associate colors like red and orange with security levels. And, seeing a loved one off at the airport gate is precluded by an extensive security check. On the news coverage today, they reported a statistic that one in five of us has been touched by someone that lost a loved one in the attacks of 9/11 or knew a 9/11 survivor. I'm one of those "ones" - good friends of mine from high school were stationed at the Pentagon. Because of the second hit to the World Trade Towers, he went to a different part of the Pentagon to watch coverage and left his office - an office in the wing that was hit. The story his wife has relayed to me made the television scenes I experienced come to life.
I rarely become political on this blog, and some may see this as a political statement, but I see this as my view of the situation from my conservative viewpoint. On a day when we remember the thousands of lives that were lost, I'm thankful that we've avoided any terrorist attacks since that fateful day. At a time when, just three years before the attack, we were consumed with the actions of an intern in the Oval Office, we were jolted to reality and thankfully led by someone who gave some integrity to the Oval Office. I challenge anyone today to tell a soldier overseas that their battle is in vain. I'm thankful that men and women are willing to fight on any land for my freedom.
The Pew Research Center recently did a study that revealed 82% of Americans view 9/11 as equally serious or more serious than the Pearl Harbor attack. Amazing that we argue the reasoning for defending our freedom now but we were ready to obliterate the Japanese nation after Pearl Harbor. Today will surely be a date which will live in infamy. May God bless America and keep her safe from all enemy attacks.
4 comments:
Tory's dad actually saw the plane that hit the Pentagon. He owns a chain of stores in the area, and he was driving to the Arlington store and he saw the plane coming in really low. He thought it was odd and he said he knew something was up when he saw it.
Tory told me that while back and it freaked me out.
Wow that is freaky! I can't imagine witnessing it happen like that.
I am in wholehearted agreement with you, Rosie. I am thankful for George Bush, whose resolve has never wavered despite criticism in the press and from the opposing party. And I'm thankful for our armed forces, who do a job so few want to do.
There is a dawning awareness in this country about the scope of the enemy we're actually facing. I hope it dawns quickly. We need all of us to face this.
Katrina,
If people don't realize who the true enemy is now, they will eventually. I pray they do sooner than later
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