nmah59.xml

nmah59.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-07-07

As American expatriates living and working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the news came on CNN in the afternoon. The rumor flashed around the office that the World Trade Center had been attacked. We watched it on the TV in the Security Manager's office. Then we were told to close the buiolding and go home.

When we got home, we heard that one building was already down. That had to be a mistake. It just couldn't be. Then the second one went down in front of our eyes and we knew it could really happen.

From then on it was just a long period of soaking up all the news from television and feeling the world changing as we watched.

We personally have experienced the increased security at airports when we travel out of the Kingdom. We have experienced bomb checks on our cars as enter the Office or Residential compounds. We set up and maintained an Emergency Operations Center in our compound to keep an eye on the news.

We American exats have faced the angry inquiries of our Saudi hosts as they ask 'why is America attacking Islam?'. We've had to find the words to explain that America is attacking terrorists who are staining the name if Islam. Somehow it feels like we are all Ambassadors who have a small part in maintaining relationships with Arab countries.

Of course we should not forget the fallen, the innocent victims occupying the planes and the buildings, and the innocent rescuers who died trying to save them. But these will eventually become an anonymous group like the victims of Pearl Harbor.

It is just as important to remember how we felt that morning before the attack started. That will be the 'Good Old Days' for the current generation.

I remember several periods of 'Good Old Days'. I remember life before polio vaccine. I remember life before plane hijackings began. I remember life before Kennedy's assassination. I remember life before our streets were flooded with drugs, before drive-by shootings, and before so many people felt so helpless and lost.

Now I have another period of 'Good Old Days' to remember, a time when getting on a plane was only an exciting foretaste of a trip instead of a roll of the dice.

Yes, and put a September 11 memorial on my website as well.

My feelings about our flag have never changed. I've always been immensely proud of what it represents. I may not always approve of what our government does. I may be embarrassed at the actions of some Americans in the eyes of the world. America has warts, a lot of them, but to me, the flag stands for those principles on which America was founded, and I am always proud of that.