9/11, a day that I will never forget.

When the first plane hit I was sitting in my Earth Science Class at Miami Sunset Senior High School. I was looking at the TV right when it happened. Our School News got a live feed from CNN’s Satellite so when CNN got the footage we all saw it.

I saw what happened, I automatically stood up and feared the worse. My cousin worked in the world trade center. I feared the worse had happened to he. But right there and then I also learned that I wasn’t the only one that new people. A good friend of mine. Danny Roman was sitting next to me and he also had a face of fear. His uncle was a New York Police Officer that was assigned to work at the WTC.

Then the second plane hit and so did the Pentagon. Right there and then I knew that we were under attack from someone or some nation.

In high school I study international relations and Post WWII Conflicts. All of what happened screamed out at me as a guerilla attack. I knew right then and there that we were at war.

At the time I was only seventeen. Simply a teenager. But right there and then i wished that it was like the old days. When to enlist all you had to do was lie and sign on the dotted line. I wanted to drop what I was doing and go fight who or what ever nation was attacking us. I wanted revenge.

During those eight hours I was glued to the TV. Watching and listening. I tried to get every single piece of information about what was going on.

I then remembered that I can make a difference. I was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. I have not been to a squadron meeting in over six months and I also knew that my membership was going to expire soon. But I knew that also didn’t matter.

I called up my squadron and asked what can I do. I was informed that we were tasked to guard a local airport. This airport sadly had a large connection to 9/11. It was one of the training centers where the terrorist trained to fly. It is also home to the US Border Patrol’s South Eastern District HQ. From 9/11 to 9/13 I was tasked to watching an airport from 2000 EST to 0400 EST. I stood there along with others watching and waiting.

My father, who is my hero and mentor was and still is as a write this a police officer. he along with many of then his fellow partners and now my current partners drove straight to NYC to help their fellow brothers in blue. Along the way they stopped by Fayetteville, NC to visit my Uncle Mike. He was stationed at Fort Bragg. At the time he was with 7th Special Forces Group. The night my father dropped by to see him was the night that he and is men in his A-Team were being deployed to at the time a “unknown” location.

On 9/11 I made a vow to myself and my nation that from then on I will forever live my life in service of others. After High School Danny Roman and I enlisted in the US Army. My good friend Al enlisted in the USMC. My other two good friends enlisted in the Navy. We all swore that we will all go and get the SOBs that decide to attack our family, friends, and country.

After the US Army I became a police officer and I’m proud to work with those that went to NYC to help their fellow officers during and after 9/11.

No matter what will happen I vowed that I will fight the good fight for as long as I can. And once I cannot fight the good fight myself I will then support those that can.

My actions are nothing compared to those that are fighting the good fight right now and those back on that horrible day that did all they could to save those that they knew and did not know.

In the end I simply write this.

ASHES TO ASHES….
DUST TO DUST….
BROTHER TO BROTHER….

Never Forget 9/11 and remember those that fight the good fight. Whether they are Police, Fire, Medics, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, or Coast Guardsmen.