0903 – Flight 175 crashes into the south face of the South Tower of the World Trade center.
0814 – United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 carrying 56 passengers and nine crew members, departed from Logan International Airport, bound for Los Angeles International Airport, with five hijackers onboard.
0820 – American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 carrying 58 passengers and six crew members, departed from Washington Dulles International Airport in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, Virginia, bound for Los Angeles International Airport, with five hijackers aboard.
0842 – United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 carrying 37 passengers and seven crew members departed from Newark International Airport, bound for San Francisco International Airport, with four hijackers aboard.
0842-0846 – Flight 175 is hijacked.
It’s been 13 years now. The longer it’s been, the closer I become to that day. I remember it all so vividly, events unfolding on the TV screen and as I made my way from my quarters on base to my Squadron, as the staff assembled. Granted, we didn’t know much, but it was obvious whatever did happen was going to involve us, so my mind was on the tasks at hand.
Now, I can remember. Now, I can grieve.
Please join me in remembering those we lost on September 11th, 2001 and over these ensuing 13 years.
“OneWorldTradeCenter” by Joe Mabel – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
We’ve rebuilt the structures they destroyed but we’ll never be able to replace the lives they took. America is a resilient, vibrant nation. But, we’re in danger of ignoring what a dangerous place this world is. The threat isn’t gone. We must remain vigilant. We must never allow another tragedy to befall our people.
I continued serving for several years after that day, retiring, working in industry. Over time I began to process the tragedy. I’ve dealt with it little more each year as I grow further and further the events.
One thing has remained.
I will Never Forget and I will Never Forgive.
Chuy Serrano 1962-2014
There is another hole in the ranks at S.O.Tech. An ever present smile, an uplifting sense of humor, and the touch of a true craftsman. For over a decade, Chuy’s blade cut sheets that became the gear that protected and supported Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Officers of the Law. His crafted pieces saw service from the streets of our cities to far away battlefields. He left an impact on the world’s warriors, and he left an impact on our family. It was Chuy’s sweat that built our company, and we stood by him as he fought the disease. A great craftsman and a good friend, he will be missed.
I can’t believe it’s been three years since I heard the news about the crash of Extortion 17, a US Army CH-47 carrying 38 souls: 17 US Navy SEALs, 5 NSW Fleet Techs, 2 USAF Pararescumen, 1 USAF Combat Controller, 5 US Army National Guard and Army Reserve Aviators, 7 Afghan Commandos, and 1 Afghan interpreter. Also on board was a single NSW Working Dog.
I live in Virginia’s Tidewater which was home port for many of those men. I’m not sure the town will ever really get over the tragedy. There are a lot of families, friends, and teammates who bear the loss every day. Only one day a year everyone else thinks about these men and their sacrifice. I think that’s selfish. I don’t expect you to think of them everyday unless they were yours, but don’t make their passing into something any more special than any other death. This obsession has trivialized their passing as much as it does every other death. Each and every loss has meaning and every loss is mourned. I challenge you to look past this one day a year and this group of men. By all means, remember the Men of Extortion 17 and then recognize the sacrifice of all of our fallen.