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Remembering 9/11: The Way We Were · Share Your Fire

• John: Here I am, just a plain background, or I should say, no no logos today, no fancy virtual backgrounds, no music, no fanfare. This message is a little bit more direct today. Because today is 9 11, the 25th anniversary of one of the most horrific events certainly in my lifetime that's ever happened on the American shores. I'll never forget 9 11, nor will anyone else who lived through it. But something different came out of it. I choose not to remember it for the fear and the pain and the horror and the anger that dominated the emotions of the day, and remained so so prominent 25 years later. I choose not to remember it for the deaths of friends and family and shipmates. Nor for the destruction and devastation to our way of life. I choose not to remember it for the loss of our freedoms or for the violation of our prior sense of safety and security. Yeah, all those things, all those feelings, all those emotions, those memories, they remain, they're still strong today. What do I choose to remember 9-11 for are the acts of heroism and selflessness. Aboard Flight 93 at the Pentagon in New York across the nation, for the sense of unity and community and togetherness that emerged from the wreckage. I choose to remember 9-11 for the resolve of a nation, our determination to recover, and our dedication to rebuilding. And not just rebuilding the Pentagon or in New York or but for rebuilding our communities, our neighborhoods, our society, our economy, our security. I will never forget how neighbors became friends. Communities bonded. The American spirit became stronger. I remember seeing the American flag on every porch, and that still brings tears to my eyes to think about it. Yeah, 9 11, I know exactly where I was. I was in the Navy Reserve then and just started my two weeks of active duty. As a matter fact, the day before I had the honor of actually working at an event with President Bush at the time. And then the very next day, on the way in, we we had a late arrival, so it wasn't having to go in as early as normal. And on the way in, I'm listening to the radio and I hear in confusion about a plane hitting the first of the towers at the World Trade Center. I think we were all just as confused trying to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong. How could a pilot not have seen the World Trade Center? And most of us, unless you were nearby or whatever, the people who were distant and listening to it on the on the radio were were thinking, well, it had to be a small private plane. As I pulled into the gate, the second plane hit. And I knew at that point, I think we all knew that something was definitely wrong. Standing there outside the building where I was reporting to at Naval Station, Anacosia, chatting with some of my shipmates, trying to figure out what was going on, listening to crazy reports coming in, bomb threats at the Capitol, all kinds of things. Some another plane going down someplace. We we couldn't make Heads or tails of it, and then we heard the whoomp. That that sound I'll I'll never forget. Because we were right down the road from the Pentagon. We could see the smoke. I wound up serving there for the rest of my time at the Pentagon, working with the volunteers who were there for the for the cleanup and the recovery and and everything else. I'll tell you something. Military members have always had an intense esprit de corps. But in that day in particular, I saw a coming together in brotherhood and purpose beyond what that which they had ever seen. Only previously in war zones. I saw people working side by side, military civilians, volunteers, people of all sorts just coming together and wanting to help each other. Nobody cared about politics. Nobody cared about religion. Nobody cared about the color of each other's skin. We were just all there helping each other. That's the light in the darkness. That is what is so wonderful about the human spirit. And that's why I do this podcast. I'll tell you now, I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud to have served in the Navy. I will never forget 9-11. But even more than before the devastation and the loss, I will remember it. For the selflessness, the kindness, the compassion that came back into our society. And I think we're at a point now in our society where we need that kind of compassion, understanding to come back to us. Look at 9-11, learn those lessons, and let's start being nice to each other again.