September 11, 2001

September 11, 2001

The day our lives changed forever.  On that day my wife and I were getting ready for work (Pacific NW time).  My wife called me, alarmed that a jet liner had just crashed into a building in New York.  My initial reaction and comment to my wife was that the airliner must have lost its instrumentation and was flying without adequate navigational controls.  We were intently watching the television report when the second jetliner crashed into the second tower.  At that instant I became aware that the crashes were intentional, and that our country was under attack.

One of my son’s was vacationing in Hawaii, and I called him at his hotel.  Due to the Time Zone difference he wasn’t awake yet and thus unaware.  We told him to turn on his television so he could see what was happening on the East Coast.  Because of the “National No Fly Restrictions” imposed immediately my son was stranded in Hawaii, and unable to return home as planned.  He eventually made his way home after no fly restrictions were lifted.

Many innocent people died on that day changing the course of the lives of their loved ones forever.  Not one individual in the USA has gone unaffected.  Some of us lost someone on that day others of us have lost someone in the military through the years since then.  The way we travel has changed drastically.  Perhaps some of us see a stranger, and immediately react with suspicion, certainly more aware of our surroundings.  The cost of gasoline has certainly affected all of us, in a personal as well as in a business way.

Our country has rallied to the cause of self-preservation.  Patriotism has once again become a point of focus for our country.  The attacks while devastating on many levels served to unite us as US citizens.  The attack aftermath has served to rid the world of a large number of evil people (perpetrators), unfortunately we have lost many heroes along the way.  We, however, had no choice but to respond as we did, and continue to stay on guard.

The fact that we are a mighty and strong force in the world, doesn’t prevent ignorant and misguided terrorists from taking a shot at us.  The following are facts about the September 11, 2001 attacks:

• The September 11 attacks resulted in 2,996 immediate (attack time) deaths: 2,977 victims and the 19 hijackers. A total of 372 foreign nationals (excluding the 19 perpetrators) perished in the attacks, representing just over 12% of the total. The immediate deaths include 246 victims on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the World Trade Center and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. ^~Wikipedia
• 11:30: Before sleeping, President Bush enters into his journal: "The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today...We think it's Osama bin Laden." ^~Wikipedia

We have survived this cowardly attack, and will continue to prevail because we are a resilient people.  The best is yet to come…..