The Day America Wept
September 11th. 2001
There have been several single events that, due to their impact on so many people, are remembered beyond the lives of those who witnessed them. My first recollection of such an event was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, when I was seven years old. I remember watching the TV in 1969 as Neal Armstrong became the first person to step onto the moon and in 1986 when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in a ball of fire. I recall the shock and anger I felt over the attempted destruction on February 26, 1993 of the World Trade Center building in New York City when a terrorist truck bomb exploded killing six people and the bombing of the federal building on April 19, 1995 in Oklahoma City.
As great and sad as these events were, none has shocked and angered me greater than the cowardly act of terrorism on September 11th. 2001 when four hi-jacked commercial air liners with 266 souls onboard where used as weapons of terror against America resulting in the death and injury of thousands.
I was at work listening to the radio playing in the background when a news bulletin was broadcasted describing a plane crashing into one of the World Trade Center towers. Within minutes I arrived at the substation and was watching the news when the second aircraft was shown crashing into the other tower. Immediately we were all aware of the significance of this. So vivid is the image of the plane flying into the side of the building and the horrible destruction it caused.
Along with other officers, I stood in shocked silence as the results of the attacks against the Pentagon, the very heart of America's military and the attempted attack against Camp David were reported. Never before in America's history had such terror against its citizens been experienced. Pearl Harbor was not even of this magnitude as it was a military target and not an attack on civilians.
Scene after scene of destruction was shown on TV and my heart ached seeing people leaping to their deaths, one couple seen to be holding hands, preferring a quick death to a slower, agonizing one. My own insignificant yet real agony increased as I saw the towers one after the other crumble to rubble and realized that hundreds of lives were lost in that instant.
This is a day that the world will remember and unfortunately some applaud. The dead will be buried, debris removed and a monument will most likely be erected as a memorial but the wounds to the Nations heart will never heal. We as a Nation should never forget this day, the significance of what happened, and always remember THE DAY AMERCIA WEPT.
Randall J. Beers
September 12th 2001
FREEDOM STILL STANDS
God Bless America
God Bless America
Land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America
My home, sweet home
God bless America
My home, sweet home
Photo Gallery
These pictures were obtained by various internet sources.
