nmah5572.xml

nmah5572.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-07-17

I was laid off in July and was getting married on October 27th of 2001. I was at home, in Jeffersonville, PA, when my wife (fiance then) called from work to tell me about the news. I turned on the TV and witnessed the second plane hitting the other tower. It was at that point I told my wfie, "this has to be a terrorist attack, it's the only thing that makes sense!" We talked awhile and then we hung up and I continued to watch the news reports coming in from all local and national channels. I then began to write, because its what I do when I need to work through something that stresses me out. In doing so I have written the following poem "America Taken By Surprise": by Tony DeRose

I sit and I wonder why,
I sit and watch America cry.
I am stunned as I listen,
How could something like this happen.
America and the world are stunned,
At the God awful act that has been done.
Although many, too many people have died,
America stands tested and true to its pride.
It's time for people, all the world through,
To see America staying tride and true.
This was not an act of just one,
But the ongoing problem of terrorism.
All people from ALL walks of life,
Now shining through in America's strife.
America has stood tall for so many years,
America will NOT give into these terroristic fears.
America stands for Truth, Pursuit of Happiness and Land of the Free,
This is what it means to ALL Americans, especially me!
We fought in the Persian Gulf War,
And all the way back to the revolution before.
So I urge every American to keep pushing on,
For perhaps one day,
We can finally say:
"Terrorism is gone!"
Ó2001

Yes, as a divorced (re-married) father of two, I am much more aware of how precious our time on earth is. I have learned to appreciate life and my family more than ever. I have learned to LOVE my children even more than I ever had before!

First and foremost ALL the people who lost their lives, the rescuers who attempted to save them, and the soldiers who fought in the Middle East. We must also recognize the strength and resilliance this GREAT nation had during this horrific time. Mayor Juliani should be remembered for his great leadership.

As I stated earlier, I was in the process of getting married in October of 2001. We were flying to Aruba for our honeymoon, and I proudly wore my US-Olympic jacket and hat I got from the 1996 games in Atlanta. I was not going to be afraid to show I was an American. We also flew a flag at our apartment. I have always had respect for the American Flag. I was also a WEBLOS (cub scout) leader and taught my boys about our flag, what it stands for, and how to have respect for it.