In my mind, that historical day, 9/11, will never be forgotten...
The year was 2011, and I worked in a hospital, training the nurses and the medical staff on new computer programs. I was hired because of my teaching skills, as I had to learn the new programs myself and devise a way to teach others. Then, on the 11th of November, I watched in horror with my other colleagues' two planes crashing into the World Trade Center in New York City. It was the craziest and most senseless thing I ever experienced! The mood of our country was of shock and anger. Our country was not prepared for such an attack. Almost immediately, the National Guard was called into service as well as recent service men and women recently discharged. At that time, the Air Force had a shortage of Aircraft Maintenance Officers, and I was told that they were considering taking volunteers to return to service. I was very moved by the patriotism and closeness our country experienced because we (the people) thought we were going to be attacked inside our homeland again. I was on the waiting list, and if my number were called, I would gladly join again. S Amen X 110!
Nice image of you in the 'blue suit' with the railroad tracks on your epaulettes, John. I must admit that I too was outraged by the cowardly terrorism of the fanatic Islamists that pulled off the World Trade Building attacks. As the Irish would put it, "I served me auld time a'dya camp!" (also in a blue uniform) back in Vietnam days), but as far as war goes (NOT terrorism), I'm afraid war shall always be part of the human experience, since what is war but an exponential expression of individual anger? However, that said, the sort of cowardly acts that Islamic terrorists engaged in are reprehensible beyond description. I share your sense of outraged indignation. As you mention the 'closeness and patriotism' that our nation experienced in the immediate aftermath, it is a well-understood dynamic of human behavior that a righteous common cause against a common enemy invariably unites an otherwise sorely-divided nation. What all those young American university 'Jihadistas' likely need most is a few (Palestinian) terrorist rockets vectored in on them to experience an epiphany about all of the foregoing and 'complete their education', as it were. Aloha, -K2
The year was 2001. And the month was September. I'm grateful that you were willing to join the forces that rallied to fight an unknown source of the carnage brought to New York City.
Unfortunately, our president had unfinished business with Saddam Hussein, and used the rallying of our people to launch a war of "Shock and Awe" against him, his family and his military elite. As a result, millions of innocent Iraqis died, Al Qaeda, and then ISIS grew stronger in the Middle East. No better off as a result of flying off the handle in a patriotic fury without evidence of who did what.
I was almost hired in 1980 by Lockheed, Marietta Georgia to teach quality control, impossible zero defects (the buzzword) to workers making 50 C150 cargo planes in a contract with none other than Saddam Hussein, our ally in the Middle East at war with Iran. The enemy then and now. It never ends… the lust for money and military power. Rush to justice for the wrong reasons.
325 letters my father wrote to my mother during his time in World War II.
Woven together in a timeline of events of three of his brothers, 5 brothers-in-law, and one cousin, all 10 of them were in WWII at the same time.
