Poetslife: May We Never Forget the Lessons of September 11

9/12/2019

May We Never Forget the Lessons of September 11

May We Never Forget the Lessons of September 11th, 2001

by Mount Airy, MD Mayor Patrick Rockinberg

For a video news report of the event, see here.

On September 11, 2001 America started its day, like any other day.

Many were having their morning coffee, getting their kids off to school, commuting to work or had just arrived at work.

At 8:46 a.m., a commercial airliner, Flight 11, hit the World Trade Center North Tower. News about the catastrophe spread quickly, but the origins were as yet unknown to most Americans.

The second plane, Flight 175, hit the World Trade Center South Tower at 9:03 am and at 9:37 am a third plane crashed into the Pentagon.

At 9:42 am, for the first time in American history, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights in the continental United States.

In Washington, D.C., amid rumors of other attacks, the White House, Capitol, and other high profile public buildings were evacuated.

At 10:07, after the heroic actions of the passengers to attempt to take back the plane, a 4^th plane, Flight 93, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

At this time there was no doubt that this was a calculated act of barbarism the likes of which had not been seen since the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941.

Some may regret never saying I love you — or — they may be thankfuul that they did. For thousands of Americans. their loved ones would never see noon of that day. We had no idea the lives of all Americans would be changed forever.

Like other dates that live in infamy. most Americans can remember where they were during these attacks.

I was within site distance of the Pentagon and could see the thick black smoke bellowing into the sky.

I remember walking the floors of my building when I heard of the first plane strike.

Traffic in Washington, D.C. became gridlocked.

I knew this because, to assess the situation, I was dispatched to the top of my commercial office building next to the U.S. Senate buildings and across the river from the Pentagon.

Parents frantically rushed to pick up children from school. A nationwide sense of vulnerability never felt before immediately filled our hearts and minds.

No one knew how many more acts of terrorism would take place… or where.

I’ve never witnessed that kind of exodus, except perhaps in a sci-fi movie where a city was under a fictitious attack. But this was not a fictitious attack, it was real.

By one p.m. Washington D.C. was a ghost town.

I drove straight home traveling along the George Washington Parkway and past the black smoke still coming from the Pentagon.

The smoke lingered into the following day as I returned to work.

Americans huddled around their TVs to watch and re-watch the attacks.

As clean-up efforts continued, we followed the latest news religiously for weeks.

Having only seen the smoke and devastation from a safe distance, I cannot comprehend what the victims and first responders experienced.

Something was taken from each of us that day beyond the precious lives of the victims of those heinous acts upon our country and even beyond the lives that were later lost due to injuries, hazardous materials and chemical inhalation.

The entire country suffered a loss in one way or another.

In retrospect, however, I believe we gained something as well.

That is what America does.

We didn’t turn the other cheek or cower.

We would not remain victims of this day. We forged ahead, stared evil straight in the eye and became even stronger.

The terrorists wanted to destroy us.

What they accomplished instead was to unify the nation in that we have an occasion, every year to remember why we treasure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness while they treasure death!

On December 18, 2001 Congress approved naming September 11 as Patriot Day.

In the months and years that followed, the perpetrators have been brought to justice and our nation is stronger than ever!!!

Let us remember and honor our local heroes from Mt. Airy that perished that day, United States Navy Lieutenant Commander Ronald James Vauk and United States Army Chief Warrant Officer William R. Ruth, and their families.

Both men gave their last full measure when they died in the Pentagon attack. Interestingly, both were not even scheduled to work that day but volunteered for two co-workers, one of whom could not work due to pregnancy complications.

Let us also remember the sacrifices of our first responders, many of whom also later became victims and gave their lives.