A Celebration of Hero's

It was a beautiful sunny day in New York City 11 years ago today.  The kind of day that made one grateful to be alive and living in The Big Apple.  Then that grace and gratefulness felt by so many would end at 8:46 AM EST as the first plane hit World Trade Center Tower 1, where a friend I knew for years was in the "Windows on the World," restaurant waiting for her boss and a client for a meeting.  They never found her.

Of course bedlam followed.  Every firefighter and Cop in New York, the Port Authority Police, all were involved as 1st Reponder's to try to help the injured, and save who ever they could.  Then another plane hit the 2nd tower.  Suddenly the game changed from an out of control jet to a full on attack of our Nation.  Evacuation orders, people going down the stairwells, firemen going up.  And then the unthinkable.  The South Tower collapsed.  Something everyone in the US and around the world watched in horror.  We also watched as people fell to their deaths from the North Tower choosing to jump rather than suffocate or burn to death.  The sadness...is still with me.  I can still see the radio tower as it disappeared into a cloud of smoke and flame as the North Tower collapsed.  Tears are running down my face as I type this as the memories are still so fresh and harsh. 

But how do you celebrate a hero?  How do you celebrate a hero when so many hero's gave their lives on one day and then many others followed in two wars to take down the tyranny and genocidal regimes responsible for trying to destroy your Country?  One thing we can do is try to remember the many miraculous stories that came out of the rescues that occurred while stretchers covered with American Flags were being carried by other Fire Fighters, hero's themselves in the aftermath. 

There were many heroic stories.  One was where several civilians and firefighters who had been buried in a stairwell, covered in debris, were found, and lived to tell the tale.  Just one of many miracles to be told later.  One man stopping for a band aid for a new pair of shoes was late for work.  The shoe's hurt his feet.  Another a dad dropping off his daughter for school, her first day of kindergarten, all of them late for some reason, watching as the first plane flew into Tower 1.  Can you imagine?  They are hero's simply for escaping, but I doubt that they would see it that way.

I can't say what it felt like, I wasn't there, but that day, here in California, I left my job at lunch and went to a local drug store in the town I worked in and found two American Flags that you can attach to your car windows.  I was honked at all the way home.  The Unity we all felt was an amazing testament to the Spirit of our Country.

There were other hero's that day.  Another plane hit the Pentagon a little while after the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower, and then another flight, Flight 93, full of hero's.  Civilian Hero's who we will never forget.  They saved many that day.  The call of "Let's Roll," became our battle cry to get those who were responsible for the horrific attacks planned and carried out by 19 Saudi terrorists on the orders of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and Usama Bin Laden.

Many felt the calling to defend our Nation against those who took so many innocent people from us that day.  Pat Tillman, the famous football player who died from friendly fire.  Casey Sheehan, a medic that my two oldest kids actually went to school with.  My own oldest son, who served 3 tours proudly and with honor and with God's grace, made it home safely all 3 times not to mention countless other hero's who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

This photo was supposedly drawn by a soldier on his way to go put down the Taliban in Afghanistan.  I am not sure of the origin, or if that story is true, but today seemed like a good day to show it, because, well, this is just who we are.  We are America.  And nobody screws with America.

This is a tribute to those who gave their lives that day.  To the Fire Fighters, the NYPD, the Port Authority Police Officers, Pentagon Officials and staff, Airline Pilots, their Flight Attendants, their passengers, and to the men and women who rushed the cockpit of flight 93, saving countless lives crashing into a field in Pennsylvania.  Their heroism is unspeakable.  They knew they were going to die, yet they did it anyway.

God Bless them all, God Save the United States of America and especially on this day Lord?  Be with those who lost a friend, loved one, father, sister, mother, son, daughter, cousin,....they are the hero's now.  We must follow in the grace of their footsteps.  Their grief, their loss...their heroism in what came after.

Please continue to pray for our men and women in uniform in Afghanistan and serving around the world.  Freedom isn't Free.