nmah6342.xml

nmah6342.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-10-31

I had just returned home from working the midnight shift. My wife and kids were still in bed sound asleep. I turned on the TV and immediately heard that one of the world Trade Center towers was on fire. I turned toward the TV and saw all of the smoke pouring from the upper floors. I began to wonder just how the emergency workers on the scene and still responding to the incident were feeling and trying to imagine what I would do if placed in the same situation. I am cross-trained as a Firefighter, Peace Officer, EMT, and Emergency Communications operator. This gave me a unique perspective of the entire situation. Not to mention being a Line Officer and wondering just how you would handle the incident command of a situation like this. As I continued to watch the incident unfold the camera panned over to a plane that was swiftly approaching the second tower. I thought to myself, "isn't it kind of strange for planes to be flying that close to the downtown area?" Just then the plane struck the second tower. I yelled out in disbelief as to what I had just witnessed. My wife came walking into the living room and asked about why I had yelled out. I told her about what had happened as she stood in front of me with the look of confusion in her eyes. I wondered how could this possibly be, that two planes on the same day could have gone off course and hit buildings that were side by side. As my wife and I continued to watch the focus of the report changed as another plane struck the pentagon building. My wife looked at me, now with terror in her eyes, and asked, "What is going on here?" I was in disbelief as to what we were watching. Our country was obviously under attack by someone that had no regards for human life. As we watched the towers fall to the ground I couldn't help but think of my fellow Emergency Workers who could not escape the terror of the collapse, and how their families must feel watching this happen.

Yes it has made me much more aware of the world around me. I cherish, even more, each and every day that I have to spend with my family.

The bravery of not only the emergency Workers that lost their lives but the ones that survived and the civilians the fought relentlessly to help their friends and co-workers.

Yes. The flag still flies just to the side of the front porch of my house. I have become more concious abou the meaning of the flag and the pride that I feel about my contry. Not a day will ever go by that a flag will not be flying from my home, except to be replaced by a new one.