story202.xml

story202.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-03-09

My name is Kirklin Bateman and I am in the Army currently attending the School of Advanced Warfighting at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia as part of the Advanced Military Studies Program. I am also a graduate student in the History Department. I was at home on September 11th studying for the next day's seminar. I had no idea what was happening until about 1000 hours when one of my brothers-in-law called. He asked if my family and I were all right saying he wasn't sure how close we were to the Pentagon. My response was one of confusion as I had no idea what he was talking about. He then asked rather increduously, "Don't you know what is going on?" When I replied that I didn't, he quickly explained that the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon had been hit my planes and that our country was under attack. I assured him my family and I were alright and then hung up the phone. Spending the next several hours glued to the television and Internet, I was like most of America in a state of shock and disbelief. Quantico Marine Corps Base along with the rest of the military was put on Threat Condition Delta, the highest level of security and soon the sounds of fighter jets could be heard overhead. Over the course of the rest of the day, into the evening, and the next day I received over 35 phone calls and emails from family and friends checking to make sure that we were alright and wondering if I was going to be involved in any sort of military response. I was amazed and overwhelmed at the level of concern for my family and I, simply because we were in the military and because we lived so close to Washington D.C. In the months since the attack, I've seen America take great pride in her emergency workers and her military and a fresh wave of patriotism sweep across the land. I hope that we never lose sight of the daily sacrifices that our public servants make and that though the price of freedom is expensive, there is no higher honor than to preserve it.