Remembering

Today, September 11, 2011, marks 10 years since the attacks on our country. As I watched the news today between multiple episodes of blues clues and Diego I wanted to express what I was feeling but wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to say. I am not an eloquent writer and I don't have a way with words. I was saddened by the loss of the thousands from that day and as I was on Facebook the Fort Drum website came up with two more soldiers that were killed in action this week in Afghanistan.

I was a senior in HS and I remember after the first plane hit the TVs were on in every classroom. I had made it to my computer class and as a class we watched the second plane hit the tower. I remember crying a little and not knowing exactly what to think. i was young and didn't really understand exactly what had just happened to our country. I had friends at school whose dads and moms worked at the pentagon and were desperately trying to get a hold of them. That was my concern that day. Our lives as military kids changed that day. Dance practice that started at 7am we had to leave at 5:30am because it took that long to get in the gates. Again i didn't understand. I went off to college where I led your typical college life for the first year and then I met this guy. This Army guy. Who went to West Point who loved the army and wanted to be in the Infantry. We talked and I asked a lot of questions. Again I didn't REALLY understand. And then we dated. I learned what his ambitions were. I learned why he was in the Army. We visited NYC. I, wait for it....fell in love with this soon to be Army Officer. I was starting to understand. We talked about what life would be like to be married to someone in the military during this time of war. How fast they would deploy, how much training they would endure, how much time we would be apart. (this wasn't totally communicated) :) Next thing I know, there I was, a new Army bride. Proud of my soldier and proud to be his wife. Off we went on our honeymoon to Fort Riley, Kansas where he had to get back to work because they were training for a deployment. A deployment that would last 15 LONG months. 15 long months of losing friends and soldiers. I went to memorial after memorial of soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. To protect us of our freedoms. I shed many tears wondering if I would get to see my own soldier again. I finally understood.

Since then we have endured a few shorter deployments and we are now on another long deployment. Today as I watched the memorial ceremonies take place I wanted to remember I wanted to be reminded of that day. It serves as a reminder to all of us what our military members are fighting for. Many tears were shed today for those families as I watched young kids who were only babies and toddlers when their parent was killed on that day and they are grown up some of them young adults making their parents proud.

I think of the two soldiers from Widmar's unit whose lives were lost this week to this war and the many soldiers that gave the ultimate sacrifice so that something like the 9-11 attacks does not happen again. I am proud to be an American today. I have never been more proud to serve alongside my soldier, my own personal hero. I am grateful for all of those who have sacrificed so that our country may be a safer place. I am in prayer tonight for those who are still grieving the loss of their family members that were killed 10 years ago today. God bless them and help them find peace today and in the coming days. I hope they know that their loved ones will not be forgotten.