Where Were You?

September 9, 2001 Agent Daddy and I watched the opening episode of Band of Brothers on HBO. We spoke afterwards about how America today would react to a bombing on American soil. We talked about how different patriotism today seemed compared to patriotism in December 1941. We talked about the apathy of the American people.

Two days later, on September 11, 2001 I recieved a phone call shortly after 6am in the morning west coast time. It was my branch manager telling me to "Turn off the cartoons. The World Trade Center has been hit by an airplane." The Tech Monkey was 23 months old, and we had a habit of watching the Disney Channel every morning while Agent Daddy got ready to go to work. I changed the channel and was riveted to the television. I watched as a second plane flew into the world trade center. I watched as Agent Daddy went on tactical Alert, grabbing extra magazines and bullet proof vests.  I wanted to hold my family safe in my home but Agent Daddy's job is to run toward danger. There were many of us spouses that day wondering how the spouses in New York were keeping it together when we could barely do it 3,000 miles away. I kissed Agent Daddy goodbye not knowing if there would be an attack on the West Coast, not knowing if or when he would be allowed to come home. And my heart broke for all the other spouses who where wondering the same thing. For all the children who maybe had not gotten up that morning to say goodbye to mommy or daddy as they went off to work.

Minutes after Agent Daddy left he was home. He was on tactical alert still but they were keeping all personnel away from government buildings. I remember watching people jump out of the windows of the World Trade Center and thinking "WHY? Some will surely be there to rescue you soon." And then I watched as the unthinkable happened, the towers collapsed. I think I was in shock after that because the rest of that day is really a blur. The days and weeks after that I remember Americans coming together in ways that I thought were forgotten. I remember being proud of my country and shocked by people having the nerve to say that we had somehow asked for this.

And when Agent Daddy got on a plane, weeks after 9/1, and went to New York to do peer counseling, I remember being proud of him. Airborne was born almost 9 months to the day of 9/11. The hospital was so full of women having what they called 9/11 babies that they took over both the Maternity ward floor and a whole other non maternity ward floor. I heard later that the Hospital had more babies in July of 2002 than ever before. When I think back to those days and weeks after 9/11, as the truth came out about who had done such a terrible thing to the innocent , non military people of the United States of America,  I wonder how any one could be so intellectually dishonest as to say that we in some way deserved it.  But I also remember with pride how Americans rolled up their sleeves and worked together to feed the rescue workers and give money to the families who lost their fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers.

The Real ARMY of Moms Salutes the men and women of our Military and of our Police and Fire who run towards danger when everyone else is running away. And today on 10th anniversary of 9/11 let us NEVER forget that Freedom is never Free.

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