nmah5345.xml

nmah5345.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-12-23

Awakened by the sound of my phone ringing beside my bed, I answered my sister on the other end of the line. It was about 11pm. She was panicked. She told me to turn on the television. I asked her what channel as I stumbled out of bed and to the television. She said any channel. As the images appeared my sister was telling me that we are at war and that planes are crashing all over america and they are even shooting their own planes down. I was shocked to witness these events. Living in Australia does not separate us from these incidents. It hurt me as much as it did if I were an American. I stayed awake for hours that night. Watching, horrified. I was devestated to learn that so many were killed. I felt for the rescuers, both uniformed and non-uniformed. For days afterward I watched an listened to the reports, I learned as much as I could about these events.

Working as a paramedic and a firefighter, I feel closer to those that I work with. The events seem to have made me more aware of risks that we all take in our job. I think now of how fast life can be taken away from us. It has made me a little prouder of my profession.

Nothing will be lost in memory. Those that were murdered, those that gave their lives so that others may live....this cannot be forgotten. There will be so many stories from 9-11 that they should all be marked down in history.

Being Australian, I do not have an American flag. I do, however, wear an American flag pin on the anniversary.