nmah382.xml

nmah382.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-22

MY WIFE AND I HAD PULLED UP TO THE DELTA AIRLINE STREET COUNTER AND CHECKED OUR LUGGAGE IN FOR A TRIP FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA TO MINNEAPOLIS, MN. FOR A FAMILY WEDDING. THEY CHECKED OUR BAGS IN AND THEN TOLD US A SMALL AIRPLANE HAD JUST HIT ONE OF THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY. THEY SAID THE AIRLINE MIGHT CANCEL OUR FLIGHT. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THEY WOULD NEVER CANCIL OUR FLIGHT FOR SUCH A SMALL EVENT AS A LIGHT PLANE HITTING A BUILDING. LITTLE DID I KNOW. BUY THE TIME WE PARKED OUR CAR AND MADE OUR WAY TO THE BREAKFAST COUNTER, A SECOND PLANE HIT AND EVERYONE WAS CROUDED AROUND A LARGE TV IN THE LOUNGE. WE LOOKED IN DISBELIEF.WE COULD HARDLY BELIEVE OUR EYES. IT ALL SEEMED SO UNREAL. WE SAT THERE AND WATCHED PEOPLE DIEING RIGHT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES. IT ESPECIALLY HIT HOME WITH ME AS I WATCHED THOSE BUILDINGS COLLAPSE KILLING ALL THOSE FIREFIGHTERS, YOU SEE, I AM CAPTAIN WITH 42 YEARS SERVICE ON THE JACKSONVILLE FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT.

IT HAS MADE ME BE MORE THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY DAY THAT THE GOOD LORD GIVES ME AND MY FAMILY.

THE BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE THAT GAVE THEIR LIVES. THE PASSENGERS ON THE AIRCRAFT THAT FOUGHT THE TERRORISTS AND ALL THE CIVILIANS THAT THAT HAD NO CHOICE. LAST BUT NOT LEAST . . . THE COUNTLESS WORKERS THAT GAVE OF THEMSELVES TO SEARCH FOR VICTIMS DAY AFTER DAY.

YES, THREE FLAGS. I'VE ALWAYS HAD GREAT RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FLAG