“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.“

- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in our hearts and minds forever. This date, for us, is like the day our grandparents remember so vividly, December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; it is like the day many of our parents remember so clearly, November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. All three of these days, covered in tragedy, pain, and uncertainty were pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Yet, the people of the United States did not let the ugliness of terror and hate get the best of them. Instead, all of us as Americans were brought together to comfort, console, and pray with one another.

None of us will forget where we were the minute we heard the news of the attacks on the United States that fateful September day. I was in my eighth grade Pre-Algebra class when the Physical Education teacher walked in and asked the teacher to go into the hall. When he walked back into the classroom, Mr. Ray turned on the television and passed the news on to us. As we sat there watching Peter Jennings give us the latest details, the television picture shifted from the World Trade Center towers to a picture of the Pentagon on fire. At that point, we all knew what was going on…America was under attack.

Later on in the day, when my fellow classmates and I went on to our English class, we continued watching the coverage. Right before the first tower collapsed, the principal had someone in the office come over the intercom informing the teachers to leave all televisions off. After our English teacher, Ms. Stewart,complied with the instructions, she told us that the lesson plans for the day had been thrown out. We were going to talk about what was happening in our country – something I am thankful for to this day. After talking about it for a few minutes, we began to write about how this made us feel and what impact it was going to have on our lives. I remembering writing a poem for our country, something I have shared with several of my closest friends.  [I will see if I can find a copy of it somewhere and post it later.]

As we go through this day, let us remember all of those who lost their lives in the morning hours of September 11, 2001 – all of the rescuers, all of the victims in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the heroes who perished in the Pennsylvania field. Let us also remember the men and women who have died defending our country since that day. Finally, let us remember all the families that lost their loved ones as a result of these terrorist attacks on our country.

May God bless the United States of America!