story5906.xml

story5906.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I was at Ft. Gordon for additional training for the United States Army Reserve. As I sat waiting for the PX to open, a soldier came up and asked if I had heard about what had happened. I was clueless about what he was talking about, so I said no. He told me that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center building. I didn't take him seriously at first. The barber opened up his shop early and turned the tv on. What we saw was just uncomprehensable. We saw the first tower enveloped in thick smoke. Then we couldn't believe what happened next. It was another plane, and I stood in absolute shock as it flew into the second tower. I was on active duty in the Army for 15 years. I've been through terrorist threats and bombings before, but that was in Germany. It was also at a time when it was a daily occurrence there. Never in a million years did I think that something like that could happen at home. I was frightened and not ashamed to say so. I was hundreds of miles away from home and my family, and never felt so alone in my life. I called my husband immediately, and then my mother.
Ft. Gordon was immediately shut down, and all training suspended. In a dayroom meant to hold maybe 25 soldiers, there were 50 of us glued to the tv and waiting to hear from President Bush. We knew what the attack meant to us, and we were prepared to go and get those who dared to hurt us in this way. And it felt good to know that we were not alone in that feeling.
I will never forget that day, and continue to do what I can to ensure that others don't. And although I did not know any of those who perished, I still cried that day and again a year later. And it only served to strengthed our country, and that is our greatest victory.