Never Forget...

Like the generations that have gone before us we have a tragedy that stands out in our mind. Generations before us told us where they were and what they were doing, when events such as the Challenger disaster, the assassination of JFK, the assassination of MLK...the list goes on. What stands out as an event I will never forget? That would definitely be September 11th 2001.

Some days it seemed like it just happened yesterday. I remember that day pretty vividly...I was in the 7th grade. I remember when they made the announcement at my school...they came on the school PA during my Art class, and said that an attack had been made on the United States...I had no idea what they were talking about to be honest. I went through out the day hearing bits and pieces of what had gone on. They were saying that attacks had been made on the World Trade Centers, and the Pentagon. They said that planes had flown into them. I remember thinking..."Don't they have air traffic controllers to make sure things like this don't happen?"

I didn't fully understand the gravity of what had happened until I went home. I turned on the TV so that I could see what happened. I saw footage of planes flying into the World Trade Centers...I was completely horrified. If I remember correctly, originally I thought I was home alone, but it turns out Sara was home, but she was in her room taking a nap...I guess she had been watching so much of it, she couldn't take watching it anymore. I remember just sitting there in shock!

Unlike attacks like Pearl Harbor which we often compare it to...this event was much different. In regards to Pearl Harbor, almost everyone who was killed was in the Military...these were people who joined the military, understanding that they ultimately could end up giving their lives to save the country they loved. Sure it was still a horrible tragedy that we will not forget...but it was almost expected for a military base like it to be a target. The World Trade Centers on the other hand were civilian installations. They were your regular "Average Joes" going to work...not having any idea that they were risking their lives by going into work...they were just going to work like every other civilian was doing that day. Little did they know what would happen that day...

I myself can thank the Lord that he preserved my friends and family that day. I have a great uncle who works at the Pentagon, and he was going to be working in the area of the building where it was attacked, but he ended up having a doctors appointment that morning, and wasn't scheduled to come in until late...so he was spared. I also have a friend that I met while here in Japan named Ann Jackson...she was working in the Pentagon that day...but was in a different section of the building at the time of the attack. If the Lord hadn't seen fit to spare her...I would have missed out on the blessing of meeting her, and making a very good friend!

In closing I would just like to say that we should never forget the events of that day! To forget would be to allow it to possibly happen again. We must never forget so that we can ensure an event such as this never happens again...that we never look the other way when terrorism runs rampant. We must be careful to assure that countries that harbor terrorist's have a proper fear of our country, and that we ensure that no organization ever thinks that we have let our guard down enough that they can attack us again. We must never forget...

Comments

Jason Hunsicker said…
Feel free to share your memories of that day...
I had just turned 11 years old, and my family was on vacation in Gettysburg, PA that day. In fact, we were supposed to be going to Washington D.C. on the 11th. Little did we know just how drastically everything would change for us. We didn't find out until mid-afternoon because we had checked out of our hotel early, and been on the battlefield all day. I don't think that I really knew what the World Trade Centers were until that day!!

I think the thing that really stuck out to me the most is when they showed video of the doctors and nurses who had come into the city to volunteer to help, waiting in line without any patients...there were so few survivors.

Instead of going to Washington, D.C. we went to visit my uncle in the mountains of West Virginia. He lives way out in the boonies, with practically NOTHING around. He told us that on a normal clear night he could see a lot of airplanes flying over, for the several days that we were at his house, we saw no planes....that was kinda creepy!

I guess for me the important thing to remember is how America came back to God for a little bit over that tragedy, but once again we've wandered far away from Him, I wonder what He's going to have to do to get our attention again!
Meg said…
Hey Jay! That was a great post. Kinda funny that it isn't even the 11th here yet tho... very different.
Anywho, my memories are very limited. I remember watching some of it on TV (monitored by Mom and Dad of course) and seeing the World Trade Centers falling down, over and over again on the TV. I remember being very sad that someone would do that, and even sadder for the families that lost loved ones. I can never get the picture out of my mind, of one specific lady who survived but was very hurt. It was just something quite big to handle for a 7 year old :). I remember being able to take a break from school to have mom tell us about it. It is definitely something someone will never forget.
Thanks for the post, miss ya!

MEG
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the reminder, Jason. As Bug already said, we were in Gettysburg when 9/11 happened. We had been just a few miles from where Flight 93 went down the day before! Sad thing is that if this tragedy didn't wake our country up and get Christians back on their knees before God, makes me wonder what it will take???
Amanda said…
I wrote this long comment for right here and it wouldn't post and wouldn't post and now I've lost it. :P

At any rate, my mom and sister and I were on our way to visit our relatives in Indiana on Sept. 11. The important thing I think of in relation to the tragedy is that God IS in control, and always will be, even if the wicked raise up their heads for a time.
Vanessa said…
Amen! What a great post, and a wonderful praise for all the people that you know that were saved that day. It is amazing how God spares us, because he has a reason and is not finished with us yet!
Rebekah said…
Hey Jason,
Great post! I gave you an award, so please go by my blog and check it out!