Remembering

Ten years ago today, the United States was changed permanently. I was in college in East Tennessee. I woke up on the sunny, beautiful Tuesday morning and went to a chapel service. We had chapel services twice per week, and this particular one was honoring all the clubs, ministries, and various institutions on campus. The quaint church building was packed, and I remember a whole section of ROTC members in the pews. The picture to the right is the church where the chapel was taking place that morning.

During the chapel service, my friend recieved an "email" news alert on his cell phone. It was an unusual alert, stating that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Towers. I assumed it was a smaller plane, probably an accident or plane malfunction.

Later in the chapel, some people were whispering some things to our college President, a thing, white-haired man in his late fifties, who was sitting at the front of the church sanctuary leading the proceedings. He tentatively went up to the microphone and stated that the chapel should pause for a moment, because there were reports coming in of some type of attack on the Pentagon. The energy in the chapel changed, and everyone was on edge. He said a quick prayer, and the chapel proceeded. People began texting and receiving phone calls (not as many people had cell phones in '01). The chapel was dismissed, and everyone filed out, eager to find out details of the news.

The rest of my day was spent sitting in front of a television with my friends, in disbelief at the horror I was witnessing. We quickly learned that these attacks were carefully planned, and executed. It wasn't long until we knew that Al Qaida and Osama Bin Laden were behind the whole plot. We were all stunned, sad, and emotionally in a state of shock. I remember crying multiple times that day. The streets were empty, and it seemed the whole country stopped. I called my family, and made sure everyone was safe. You just never know.

Those events have changed the way we view our lives, approach politics, and shaped international policies and relations with other countries. Lives have been given, evil encountered, and heroes emerged. This country will never be the same after the tragedy and horror of that day. We must always show reverence and remember September 11, 2001.

If I were going to recommend a movie about this tragic day, (and some have been made, to varying degrees of success), I would have to say DC 9/11: A Time of Crisis is the best one. Also, United 93 is an incredible movie, chronicling the account of the brave victims aboard the flight that was headed for the White House, but went down in Pennsylvania.