story6214.xml

story6214.xml

born-digital

story

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no

2002-09-12

I am at loss for words that can adequately express how September 11th impacted me then , and even today.... Let me begin to say, I am a wife to an EMT/FIREFIGHTER with the Metro Nashville Fire Dept... and I am a mother to a Metro Nashville Police Officer.......and a mother to a soon to be 17 year old that is studying to be a EMS/ EMT / Paramedic Trauma Nurse with Lifeflight with Vanderbilt University. I spent over 28 years in the Healthcare field myself until a drunk driver caused my accident. Being a wife, and a mother with having TWO ACTIVE Public Service Trained EMT/ Paramedic / Firefighter and a Police Officer with the third studying in the simliar fields.... I am PROUD OF THEM. The other part of this story is this.... I have a cousin , Brian Green , living for many years in New York due to his job and he works near the Trade Center. But, it was so frantic at our homes here in Tennessee when we were calling Brian to find out where he was on Sept. 11th, 2001. My uncle tried his workplace, he was not there...tried his home, no answer only an answering machine. Brian is the one that never missed days in school, nor on the job he is a High Achiever. But, on Sept. 11th, 2001.... Brian awoke that am early with a fever, and did not feel well. He called in to his office and said he would be running late that morning, as he needed to see if he could reduce the fever. He went back to bed and fell in a much needed sleep. He awoke about two hours later, and called his office again, and said maybe another hour or more then he'd be in. When he awoke the third time, he turned on his TV, and he was in total shock of what he was seeing as we all were all over the world. The Attack on the USA ! As a wife to a Firefighter, and a mother to a Police Officer, I knew that with each shift they go on duty, you can never know, but only pray for their safety, as they are well trained, and this is the career they've chosen. But, it took the family two days to hear from Brian, and with the telephone lines down, or so much traffic calls coming into the state of New York that Sept. 11th.... we were unable to reach Brian. Finally, into the third day......my uncle received a telephone call from Brian saying he had been ill and slept in to get to feeling better, he did not want to go into work with that fever to give to his co-workers....but like the entire USA, he was shaking in trembling tears to say that if he had not been ill that morning, he could have very well been there and there is no doubt that he would have died along with many of friends he had worked with. It is extremely ironic, that this is the first day that Brian did not go into work.... We all had prayed for his safety. Our prayers were heard.
Yesterday, my Firefighter husband, Marvin H. Lanham, Jr. was on duty at Engine # 36 in Old Hickory, TN and they had many ceremonies and tears shed September 11th, 2002 ! Yesterday, my Police Officer son, Charles Thomas Widener, was on duty at the Hermitage District and they too had prayers and a ceremony in honor of those that died September 11th, 2001........ all were in tears. My daughter in law, and I , shared in those tears not only on Sept. 11th, 2001 but week to week, month to month, in wondering " Could this happen here in Nashville, TN; at our International Airport, anywhere here........and would we have to face what the many wives, husbands, daughters, son's, mother's, father's, and their families in New York , PA, Washington DC ......dealt with on that September 11th, of 2001 ! " We pray for those family members daily ; and they are never far from my heart ! And, why was is it that Brian Green fell sick on that September 11th, 2001, when he went through grade school and High school and his workplace so attentive to his work and being on the job and to excel.......We do thank God for his safety for that day. I do thank God for the work my husband and son do which the pay is not where throughout our country where it needs to be, as Public Service Agent's to protect the people of our city...but it a career they have chosen to aid, to protect, to defend the people here not only in Nashville, TN, but too in the USA, if they are called to help ! They are my heroes !

God Bless the Families and God Bless Our Nation.....

I am proud of my husband, Marvin H. Lanham, Jr. and my son Charles Thomas Widener ! Carolyn W. Lanham of TN , USA