lc_story117.xml

lc_story117.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-12-17

I remember coming out of class and heading to work in the Student Union at college and hearing people saying that we were being attacked. I thought someone was playing a prank and I shrugged it off. As I walked into work the big screen TV was on and student were surrounding it in disbelief. The first image I saw was the second tower being hit. I was shocked.

The college I went to was twenty minutes away from Shanksville, Pa and the attack caused a state of panic on campus because we all had a sense of security about being safe in the haven of the Appalacian Mountains untouched by dangerous city life. But terror can strike anywhere, at any time. You can never prepare yourself for such tragedy and heartache.

When we all came together in the evening for a time of prayer around our main symbol of freedom, our flag.

We all were able to move on because we could come together and support each other. A lot of students soon enlisted and have since served in Iraq along with my brother. Its moving to see so many patriots rise up in the mist of such a tragedy. Unfortunately, it took something so horrific to realize that everyday we, as Americans, take our freedom for granted. We are truly blessed as a nation, even in the mists of September 11th.