story10519.xml

story10519.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-04-02

Sept. 2001 was the beginnig of my basic training for the U.S. Army. After waiting an entire 2 weeks I, along with hundreds of other recruits was to begin my Army career. {our training had been somewhat delayed due to lack of drill sgts. at the time.} The days prior to the 11th we had been practicing a ceremony in which we would meet and greet our new drill sgts. and swear into basic training.
Yes, I was excited I was to begin my army career. The day began as best it could for a day in trainig, early chow, roll call, room check, ect..
At around 8am, my unit marched to the area where the ceremony would take place, and took our places. We sang the army song, repeated army core values and stood at parade rest as several recruits marched around in military uniforms from past wars. Each of us unaware what was taking place in our homeland.
The ceremony went well and we marched back to our companies, excited, nervous, and Proud!!!. We stood in line waiting {you do that often in the military.} A drill sgt. approached us and in a stern serious voice informed us that OUR nation had just been attacked by terrorists. At the time we took it for granted that it was just a scare tactic to get us prepared for the next 9 weeks, but as the day went by, and we were instructed to contact our families if they lived in NYC. We began to realize this was not just a Drill's idea of a joke, but a sick, sad reality.
I can't explain the sickness that over came each of us, we had just sworn to protect the freedom of our fellow americans agianst all odds, and suddenly this. We were aware of the possibility, but this soon?

I called my family on the pay phone, they tried to describe what had happened, and what the news was showing everyone, but it all seemed to unreal. The world was falling apart and I was 500 miles away from my southeastern Ky. home? My family was together and I was here alone, unsure of where I may end up.
Later that evening one of the drill sgts. decided to let us catch a few minutes of news coverage. 10 soldiers at a time walked into that room, each of us walked out changed, tears were in the eyes of those who seemed had no heart, and for the first time we began to feel like family. Each of us alone, a scared, only one another to turn too.
For next few days life seemed a dream. We were updated on the attack whenever there was something new to tell. On the following tuesday we held a ceremony outside of our unit, military personnel, civilians and trainees alike joined together to salute those who had died, as we listened to the silence we could hear the sadness in the wind, smell it in the air feel it in the coldness of a Sept sun.
I spent nights fighting to sleep only to be awaken by dreams of bombs and attacks, even though I only seen 2 minutes of live footage. I knew now more than ever that I had made the right choice by joining the military.
I was always proud to be an american, but now I was proud to serve america, the people who died in the Sept 11 tragedy, and those who lost their loved ones are the real heros. I salute you all those gone, those still here, may God bless you.