nmah35.xml

nmah35.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-06-26

I was at work in Gainesville, VA when I heard that the 1st plane hit the Tower, then the 2nd, then the Pentagon. I called my mother who lives in Dumfries and told her. She immeditatly turned on the TV. I contacted a friend who normally works at Reagan National, luckly he was off that day. I called my son at college to make sure he was ok. I remember my 2nd son calling me on his cell saying he could see a black cloud over the area in Dumfries where we live - 25 miles south of the Pentagon. I work in a Sales office, and can remember clearly that we had very few calls the rest of the day, even though it was our busy season. At Boy Scouts that night, we learned that a neighbor of our Assistant Scoutmaster was missing. My daughter's friend's mother was also one of the victims. Even though we were not directly affected, we have close friends who were. Both of the Scout troops my children belong to did a car wash for the victims of the attacks.

We are more cognizant of what is happening around the world. And we pay more attention to the little things. 30 years ago I was ready to join the military and do what needed to be done during the Vietnam war. Today, I am afraid of my sons and daughter being called up. I am recording news articles, poems, pictures and other items for this year to help my children in their final years in high school. I feel a "loss of innocence" and regret that my children will never enjoy the same freedoms I did, even though we as a people are struggling to maintain as much of them as possible.

We should never forget what happened to us. It's more than the loss of lives and the destruction of the Twin Towers. If history is forgotten, it's destined to be repeated. We need to be vigilant, yet kind. If nothing else is remembered, remember the feelings that came out of the attacks, the caring, the outpourings of help, the reactions of the world and the help given to us. We are already beginning to forget, and that can't happen. We must remember it all, or it will happen again.

We always flew the flag on the holidays. After Sept 11, we flew it at half mast during the mourning period. Then at full staff until the end of the year. It still flys on holidays, and we have a flag on each car. I wear a pin I purchased during the Bicentennial every day - if I leave my home, I have it on my shirt - no matter where I am going. I won't forget, and if wearing the flag helps one person remember, then I've done what I wanted to do to help.