Returning to the Pentagon and my Army "family," and paying respects to the new veterans.

I've visited the Pentagon several times since ending my civil service career--even conducted a few seminars there. But my recent visit had a whole new meaning. It was the first since the plane crashed near where my office was. This visit was somewhat like a homecoming. The challenge was finding the "home." In the past, my retiree's identification card was all I needed to gain entry into the Pentagon. This time, I needed an additional form of ID and an escort by someone who works in the building. I was having lunch with a friend, so that was no problem.

I was surprised to see that just locating folks, finding phone numbers, and room numbers is still a challenge. While the building façade has been restored, there is much work to be done inside. My old unit had relocated to accommodate renovation work before the crash. It probably saved their lives. No one from my unit was killed. It was a good feeling to be able to sit and talk with them. That was the first time I really felt homesick…a need to be with them again. I worked with the Army and there's pride in the Army "family." It was good to be welcomed back by the family.

In New York, I talked with a friend who works for the Port Authority in the World Trade Center. He had just arrived as the planes were crashing into the buildings. For a couple of days we didn't know if he was among the survivors or not. He survived but is still plagued by the sights and sounds of that day. His best friend perished, as did several of his coworkers. I visited "ground zero" with another friend, but even from the observation platform, there was not much to see since the work is now below ground level. However, the vacant space, scars on surrounding buildings, and memorabilia of the victims brought tears to my eyes.

My job for the Army was in logistics plans and operations. But we never planned to defend the Pentagon against a passenger jet. We never planned logistics for the aftermath of planes hitting the World Trade towers. This is a new kind of war--indiscriminate killing of civilians as well as military on American soil. As we gratefully remember the veterans of all our wars, let's also remember the victims of this monstrous act of aggression against us and pray, "Never again."