September 11, 2011 - Ten years ago to the day the United States suffered through its second "Day of Infamy" - a brutal attack upon our soil perpetrated by sadistic terrorists. I woke up this morning with a Led Zeppelin song on my mind entitled "Ten Years Gone" from the Physical Graffiti album. It really has been that long ago, yet the memories of that terrible day are still fresh. Everyone who was old enough to remember can tell you exactly what they were doing that day. I had just walked into my office at Bryant University to begin another day teaching Army ROTC. A professor from across the hall burst into my office to ask if my TV worked (it was an old set hanging from the ceiling). He wanted to know what I thought about the plane hitting the World Trade Center. My first thought was to recall that in 1945 a B25 bomber crashed into the Empire State Building. But that was a foggy day in which the pilot became disoriented. This was a crystal clear blue sky day. Before I could check the TV, the professor had already switched it on. In absolute horror we watched the second plane hit. There was no question - America was under attack. My office was the only one along the hallway that had a TV and it slowly began to fill with students and faculty. Nobody spoke. Some people were crying. We didn't know it at that moment but two recent Bryant graduates were one of the planes. When the Pentagon was hit, I had reached the point where I was alternating between shock and rage. By noon, the university president called a faculty meeting and cancelled classes for the day. Counseling services were set up for students and faculty in the rotunda of the Unistructure Building. I went home that night in a complete trance. I lit a candle and left it on my doorstep and pondered what I could do. Like everyone else, I literally remained glued to the TV for the next two days.
The vast majority of Americans were nowhere near New York City or the Pentagon on that day. Regardless, the events changed the lives of all of us in some way. I had never deployed to a combat zone up to that point and had reached the conclusion I never would. I had applied to the FBI and then got caught up in a hiring freeze that wan't lifted until after the attacks. By then I was too old (36.5 years old is the cut-off with no waiver). My military career was about to undergo a transformation. I didn't need to volunteer for an opportunity - within months I was already on my way. In the ten years since the attacks I have deployed to Iraq four times and spent another six months in Liberia. Even as I write this I am deployed. I am not a unique case. And the toll of the war, although necessary, has been immense. Over 4,000 of my comrades have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many thousands more have endured grevious physical or psychological injuries. For many, these are wounds that may never heal. But the sacrifices continue to be made in order to keep the battle at the enemy's doorstep and off of our soil. Every American death that resulted from the attacks of September 11th has been exacted on the enemy tenfold or more. And the leader of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, the punk bastard who ordered the attacks, is now dead from a 5.56mm bullet straight through his brainpan. However, the war goes on.
Many people think that just because OBL is dead that the Global War on Terrorism is over. They are wrong. Al Qaeda still exists. The Taliban are still out there. Many others want nothing more than to destroy America and everything we stand for. They hate our freedom, our prosperity, our generosity, our way of life, and anything else they can think of to hate. There are only two options for the terrorist thugs who are aligned against us - victory or death. Victory for them is NOT an option for us. Therefore, the fight must go on. For the United States to not emerge victorious in this war would be a terrible legacy to the memory of those who died on this day ten years ago. Whether everyone wants to accept this or not, our only options are also victory or death.
As we reflect on the attacks of September 11, 2001, remember the victims of that day, and ponder the past ten years, let us also keep our eyes focused on the future. Let us all continue forward with solidarity in defending freedom. God Bless the United States of America for eternity.
- In memory of all of the victims of September 11, 2001 and all of those who have died defending our Nation
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