9-11 In Memory

9-11-2001

I ask you click this link and listen to it as you read this, it helped me when writing it, A beautiful song by Alan Jackson  https://youtu.be/s3MtgpL4fkI

For many years I have wanted to write down my memories of September 11th 2001, I have sat down many times to do it but then emotions get in the way and I just erase everything because how upset it makes me. This time I swore to complete it. I sit down this evening on the 15th anniversary and find myself not able to think about what to say or how.

September 11th 2001 I was living in Florida and had to get up that morning to go to a Doctor’s appointment at 8:00am it was such a beautiful day I left early and instead of taking US HWY 1 to the appointment I took Indian River Drive to have a beautiful view of the Indian River that morning and maybe see if some Tarpon or Snook were busting bait as I had intended to do some fishing after the doctor’s appointment.

I saw some Manatees near Downtown Fort Pierce and did see Snook and some Tarpon near the ruins of Old Fort Pierce as well as osprey working Mullet schools. I was really excited to hurry up and get back after the doctor was done with me.

I was first patient of the day and they had to do Physical therapy on my foot before I saw the doctor and some X-rays. All I could think about was the Tarpon I had seen. My Therapist was a big time angler as well and PT went by fast as we were talking about what I had seen, I honestly think he wanted to get out of there more than me. We even agreed to meet up at bait shop at 3pm and grab our good friend who owned it and go chase them. The day was shaping up to be an epic Tarpon Snook hunt.

Finally after what seemed a hour sitting in the office after PT waiting for the Doctor he came in smiling and said I won’t keep you long I know what you got on your mind , they were rolling when I was on my way in and my last patient is at noon and after that I will be there also. We both started talking about should we use live bait or top-water baits when the Nurse came in and said A small plane hit the World trade center.

We both got up and went to his office and started watching the TV and commented how beautiful a day in NY it seemed and it had to be a medical emergency maybe heart attack for the pilot it was just to clear and beautiful for anything else and hoped not many people were killed or wounded.

He finally got around to looking at my foot and discussing how the PT was going and so and when all the sudden we heard the second plane hit he looked up at me and said this is no accident! His nurse came running in to tell us and saw the tv. Doc looked at her said call all patients not here already and tell them we will reschedule when we know what is going on.

I am not ashamed to admit I had tears of anger running down my cheeks. When I left I stopped at the Old Fort and just sat there listening to the reports on the radio, it really had not settled in yet. Then as I was looking South toward the Nuclear Power Plant I could see Military Planes over it and as they came up the river flying circles over the plant as they passed overhead I could see they were armed.

I knew our nation was at war with no doubts in my mind! Terrorist was what was being said on the news in speculation. I could see the Tarpon and Snook rolling but had no interest in going after them, I really didn’t know what I wanted at that point I was truly in a fog. About then my phone rang and it was my wife asking if I saw what was happening? I told her I did and where I was and asked if I needed to come to her work? She told me no she would see me when she got home.

I drove home and turned on the tv and watched the news just in time to see T-1 fall. I cannot express in writing the anger I had but never before or since have I felt that type of anger and the same time I was feeling sorrow, grief and confusion, I wanted payback! I think I experienced every emotion that hurt and anger can be described as.

The rest of the day was spent watching the news and talking to friends across the nation online. I think the most overwhelming feeling was “KILLING ANGER” followed by pure “GRIEF” I think that day many Americans knew what it was like to be alive on December 7th, 1941. I remember everything about that day, I can close my eye and see even the clothes I was wearing, a dime laying on the floorboard of my truck , no detail of that day has been forgotten now almost 16 years later I know I had 2 cups of coffee that morning and a Dr Pepper on my way to the doctor’s office. I remember stopping at Hess and getting the worse egg and ham breakfast sandwich.

But what I remember most with pride and fondness was the following weeks!

There were a lot of tears but perfect strangers would put a hand on your shoulder. People were much more patient with others and more considerate. It seemed every other car had an American Flag flying off a window and so many houses with the Flag flying. Though it was designed to scare us and terrorize us it backfired because it United us and Woke something forgotten in our Nation and its People that since of Patriotism and love for each other.

In writing this those same angry emotions and painful ones kept coming back, took me 8 months to write this because I just had to stop and other times when I tried to start I would read it again and get mad all over again. But now I did it almost 16 year later.

God Bless all.

(NOTE) Though I started writing it on the 15th anniversary it still took me 6 months to finish. I lost friends that day and many the years after, buried kids I watched grow up and I for one will never forget it or what it started.