September 11, 2011

Today is the 10 year anniversary of events that changed us as a nation.  As I sit in my home in Madrid, Spain I have found it a bit of a difficult day.  Difficult because it is just a regular day here in Spain.  Difficult because this date 10 years ago defines us now and my children will not be taught any of this in school here.  Difficult because as an American in a foreign country I feel that I want to keep that fact hidden.  I don't want to draw attention to myself, but I really want to hang a U.S. flag out on my house to show my pride for my country.  Being an American in Spain is such an incredible opportunity and adventure and I would never want to offend a Spaniard.  As September 11 is just about over here in Spain I wanted to have a post in remembrence.  I read a facebook post yesterday that said. "I don't remember what I was doing last Tuesday, but I can tell you exactly what I was doing on September 11, 2001".  This struck a chord with me.  This is so true.  I love hearing people's stories of where they were and what they were doing and how their lives have been affected by such tragedy that I thought I would share mine.

On September 11, 2001 we were stationed at Ft. Lee in Virginia.  Hubby was attending the Captain's Career Course and I was working just north of Richmond, Virginia in a town called Glen Allen.  I was not at a computer that had internet capabilities nor near a television.  I sort of heard co-workers talking about what was going on, but truly was caught up in my work.  I kept getting updates from co-workers and couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I stepped out of the office to call my mom on the West Coast to just let her know that I was ok and to hear her voice.  Just after lunchtime Hubby called me at work to let me know that he had been released early and to fill me in on the details.  He then told me that Ft. Lee was on lockdown and to try and get a hotel room outside of base because I probably couldn't get on.  I left work early that day and was able to get on base, but waited hours in a line to get on.  Once on post there were soldiers with weapons walking up and down our streets.  There were tanks rolling up and down our streets.  It was just crazy.  Once I got home I was able to see footage for the first time and I just couldn't turn it off.  Hubby and I waited to hear President Bush speak and after President Bush's speech Hubby turned to me and said, "We are going to war."  At that moment I knew our military lives would be drastically different.

In the weeks that followed I struggled with so many emotions.  I would take my lunch break to drive to a parking lot and just sob.  What was going to happen?  What did this mean for us in the military?  How would our country heal?  I felt so much patriotism all around me.  It brought tears to my eyes to see every single house on our street waving the American Flag.  People, for the first time in a long time, put their needs and wants aside to help others.  It was just truly amazing yet so sad that it takes such tragedy for people to come together.  There were people on our street whose husbands were sent up to ground zero to help in the recovery of bodies with a Casualty Affairs unit.  We had another schooling scheduled after Ft. Lee, but which of our friends would be sent away from their families?

We headed to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for EOD school and then to Ft. Knox, Kentucky to fill a Company Command position of an active EOD Company.  About the time we got to Kentucky the first wave of Marines deployed to Iraq.  By this time we had given birth to one child.  Not sure how many waves came before ours, but in September of 2003 Hubby deployed to Iraq...and I suppose the rest is history.  We now have two children, been through 2 deployments, too many memorial services to count and Hubby wears a bracelet with 2 special names engraved on it representing two of his soldiers that were killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  We are a changed nation and we are a changed family.

I pray everyday for God's protection of our "family" and our military "family".  So many lives lost this day 10 years ago and many more lost since then.  Though we aren't seeing coverage on tv this day, that is probably happening in the States, we do remember.  Terrorists act in evil all over the world and this is one thing that we as Americans share with Madrid.  In 2004 Madrid was attacked with bombs in their commuter train system.  I look forward to mourning with them on the anniversary of their tragedy and knowing we can actually relate.  Because of their terrorist attacks we are here today.  Spain wanted to host the Counter IED Center because of this incident. 

I raise a glass to 10 more years of rebuilding this great nation and pray that Americans everywhere remember how we all treated each other just hours, days, weeks and even months following this great tragedy and to remember that we don't need another tragedy to come together as one.