story7140.xml

story7140.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-13

I was working onboard the USS Peterson (DD 969) when we heard the news traveling from our tv's on the mess decks. At first none of us could believe it, but then we realized we could be next. A chill swept the ship as we watched the towers fall over and over again thinking that Norfolk was next in line. Slowly all the ships in our battle group began the transit to New York to support the military we have there. Peterson was under construction and one of the few ships left in the world's largest naval station. A week later we were fit for full duty, and went on a 6 month cruise to the Persian Gulf. It was a scary relief to be leaving the States at that time. Over the next 6 months we would here the stories of what was happening back in America and receive letters from hundreds of fellow Americans thanking us for sacrificing out lives to keep anything like this from happening again. I'll never lose the feeling of knowing that I belong to such a great nation full of people who support me as I protect them. As a missile tech in the US Navy I have a great amount of pride in my counrty, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. God bless America.
FC3 (SW) Shelton, Torey