lc_story262.xml

lc_story262.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-01-16

I was a Chief Petty Officer (CPO) working for the Coast Guard in Chesapeake, VA. I had not long been at work when a fellow technician came to tell me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Petty Officer Melanie Easterling, who would later volunteer for duty in New York assisting the Coast Guard and others in the post recovery efforts, motioned me toward the television in the operations center where I observed the first tower smoking. My initial thoughts were that the antiquated FAA systems I had heard so much about had finally caused the damage some had feared. When the second plane hit I knew it was something different. It was still hard to fathom terrorism because most of my generation had never witnessed this type of destruction on our land. I remained optimistic about degree of damage done and then came word of the Pentagon being hit and finally the failed attempt which landed in the woods of Pennsylvania. Soon it became clear to even the most doubtful that this was an act of aggression against the United States. My awe and disbelief peaked when the World Trade Center Towers collapsed. The numbers dead are still too steep to comprehend. I didn't think my life would change much as a result of that day but as I look back now...I know it has.

The moment I was told of the first hit and looking toward the television.

Many freedoms have been restricted if not fully revoked. Our society has lost an appreciable amount of its freedoms in many areas. We do not travel as freely as we used to, we are more suspicious of activities as being related to terrorism (mass power outages, flu epidemic, anthrax, etc.). I carried a blank bullet key chain from 1989 until I had to fly to Cozumel, Mexico in April of 2002. The key chain was store bought, the attachment swivel went through the hole where the firing pin should have been and I had carried it on at least 10 flights prior to this. I had to leave it in the airport trash that day or I would have missed my flight and my reporting date to my ship. This was a small thing but it left me with a deeper understanding of just how much had really changed. I traveled a lot during 2003 and the airport liturgy made almost every trip a dreaded chore. People all but undressing at the screeners area, shoes off, belts off, not metal buttons and all the while every is checking over their shoulder in seeming paranoia. The US Patriot Act is probably the scariest change of all because it categorically revokes right and privileges afforded to Americans by the US Constitution. Its intent is honorable but the potential for exploitation and misuse is dangerous and "Orwellian" by nature. I used to pine for the future to the extent of almost wishing my life away...but now, I fear many aspects of the future.