Ten years have passed, and yet the thoughts of what happend that day are still so fresh in my mind that I still get choked up talking about it, and tears come to my eyes now just thinking about that day.   When we say “We will Never Forget”, I think every American means that from the deepest part of their being because it is our generations Pearl Harbor, a day that will certainly live in infamy. 

Do you remember what you were doing that day?  I know I do.  How many of you, just like me started watching the news with a friend or co-worker about the first plane hitting, only to watch live as the second plane flew into the tower.   Your heart sank, was our country at war ? We didn’t know.  Planes were grounded, people were stranded in airports.   You called your loved ones who were far away just to hear the sound of their voice.  We were scared. Until that fateful day, we felt safe, afterall we were Americans.  On that day, we found out that our happy little “Leave it to Beaver” lives were not safe from the evil and violence of the world, it affected all of us together as a nation.  We were under attack!

The question that haunted all of us was “Why ?”  What had we done?  They weren’t attacking a naval base like Pearl Harbor.  We had not done anything to provoke anyone?  So why would someone seek to kill our innocent civilians ?  There is no answer, you can’t wrap your mind around that type of hatred.  They hate us simply because we exist.  Because we represent all that they despise – Freedom to be ourselves and live our lives – Because we were born American. 

When I think of 9-11, what stands out in my mind the most is how I sat glued to the televsion for hours — days — waiting for the wounded to be found.  I watched as hospitals stood by ready for the hundreds maybe even thousands of wounded they anticipated were coming.  In your mind you imagined it would be like a movie scene where the doctors were flooded with patients.   Medical staff from nearby states hurried to NYC to help – only to wait and wait.  There were precious few that survived,  doctors and nurses were not needed to save lives, only to try to identify the dead. 

Images of families in agony over the loss of their loved ones burn in your memory.  Do you remember crying for the pain of families you didn’t even know, because they were your brothers and sisters. We are Americans, this is what we do in times of crisis, we pull together – we have each other’s backs.  Yes, We will Never Forget that day.

Today, ten years later, our country has survived, and despite our troubles, we still stand strong.  Let us Never Forget the Courage of all our brave heroes that day that sacrificed all to save the lives of others. It makes most of the things we are facing today seem small in comparison. Let’s use their brave example, and remember if they can make that sacrifice, what is so great that we cannot all accomplish together.  It is time once again for us to work together, to unite our country and fix our problems, and it starts with each one of us.  Carry our heroes with you in your heart every day and Never Forget.  Let’s do it for them, let’s honor their memory and make this country Great Again.  In the words of one of my heroes, Todd Beamer from United Flight 93, ” Are you ready guys?  Let’s Roll.”