nmah31.xml

nmah31.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-06-24

My day started the same. I work in a Miltary Entrance Processing Station and reported for work at 0515 -central time. I was sick that day and left work at 0730. I drove the gate at Little Rock AFB at about 0755. Nothing seemed out of place. I got to my home on the base about 5 minutes later. My husband got me something to drink, some cold medicine and turned on the TV. I said "Oh my the World Trade Center is on fire!" Then we started hearing what the commentary was saying about the planes hitting both towers and then the replay....I had planned to spend the day lying in bed sleeping, instead I was glued to the events that unfolded before me on my 55 inch television. I couldn't tear myself away. I cried, I got angry. I was confused. I was frightened. I answered phone calls from loved ones concerned that I may have to go to war. I told my children, made them watch the horror. The horror.

I think I appreciate people more. In a matter of minutes, thousands of people were just gone. No body to bury, no last words, no closure. I still cry if I watch anything about the attacks. I'm not afraid to fly but sometimes the sound of a low flying plane makes me feel nervous. I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have an overwhelming feeling that this is far from over. I also feel that for all our military strength and heightened awareness that we are not going to be able to stop that other shoe from dropping....

Everything. All the details, all the anguished faces of onlookers,the site of two beautiful buildings falling,the site of one of the militaries most secure buildings burning, the faces of those who were lost, the words of the President, the immediate outpouring of support from the British and other countries, the sounds of the American National Anthem being played around the world. To forget one detail is to become complacent. We cannot afford that. Our children cannot afford that.

We did. We usually flew the flag for Federal holidays, Memorial day, Veterans day, July 4 but in the aftermath of the attacks we had little flags on the car, on the mailbox, a lighted display. Red White and Blue ribbons tied up. My feelings toward the flag as a symbol have not particularly changed. As a military member, I have always felt great pride in the flag and my country. I am sorry that it took such catastrophic events to make others feel this sense of pride.