9-11 - A Tribute Thread

[Willowdared]

As the anniversary approaches, I thought it would be nice to have a thread devoted to any sites, thoughts, books, pics that you think are worth sharing.

I will start with a Tony Parsons article published on the one year anniversary. I'm also going to post something from a blog I followed when Gulf II broke out.

My agency has been observing a moment of radio silence every year, unfortunately the man who started it is out for medical reasons, so I'm not sure if it will happen this year.

My thoughts and prayers to us all.

[Willowdared]

"Shame On You American-Hating Liberals"
Tony Parsons DAILY MIRROR
September 11, 2002

One year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting-- the mass murder of thousands--live on television. As a lesson in the pitiless
cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol Pot's
mountain of skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like
garbage in the Nazi concentration camps. An unspeakable act so cruel, so
calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on
one thing--nobody deserves this fate. Surely there could be consensus the
victims were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's
comeuppance. Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last
year.

There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this
country--too loud, too rich, too full of themselves and so much happier
than Europeans--but it has become an epidemic. And it seems incredible to
me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are
bonded to the US by culture, language and blood. A little over half a
century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as
well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon?

And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children--not just Americans, but from dozens of countries, were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray our allies?

What touched the heart about those who died in the Twin Towers and on the
planes was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands and wives, and children, some unborn. And these people brought it on themselves? And their nation is to blame for their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or
Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan.

The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame
the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives
suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can do
what it likes without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with ENORMOUS restraint since
September 11th.

Remember, remember, remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men
phoning their wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive.
Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning
skyscrapers and those who knew the plane they were on was going to crash.

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive. Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum.
Remember, remember--and realize that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked without a trial in Camp X-ray? Oh,
please pass the Kleenex.

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired
their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot.
That it didn't is a sign of strength.

American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq-- that's
what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a
minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? More so, how many
Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was
an abomination? We have never heard a statement from them. When will we ever hear their outrage? When will we hear their stance?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom-loving
Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that--and
didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most
powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not
provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism". A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about opening the gates of Hell if
America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of Hell
like you wouldn't believe. The US is the most militarily powerful nation
that ever strode the face of the earth.

The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the
planned war on Iraq may be misconceived. But don't blame America for not
bringing peace and light to these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand--assuming you haven't had any chopped off for a minor shoplifting offense.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle.
But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh.
Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to
be--rich, free, strong, open, optimistic. Not ground down by the past, or
religion, or some caste system. America is the best friend the UK has ever
had and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the
loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers. Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper. And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York Fire Department. To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein.

Remember, remember, remember 9/11. One of the greatest atrocities in humanhistory was committed against America.

No, do more than remember. Never forget.

[bufford408]

Good Post. Thank You.

[Willowdared]

This was posted by his BC, who he described as a combination of Knute Rockne, George Patton and Vince Lombardi.

I found this stirring and inspiring - hope you do as well.

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Yours is a voice that many have heard. We have not simply heard what you have said; we have, and continue to, listen to what you are saying. Far too often we simply carry on an inner dialogue when someone else speaks to rehearse what we will say when they finish. This war on terrorism will be with us for some time, so I offer an open letter to the generation I will pass this burden on to.

I believe that we are making progress in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Despite the ravings of pundits and uninformed ambulance chasers, this fight doesn't' hinge on oil or payback. It isn't about religion or race. And it damn sure is not about any innate desire to rule the world. These people will succeed or fail on their own merits. The task is daunting. You can release a person from bondage. You can remove a tyrant from power. You can create the conditions for liberty. But, you cannot simply grant or proclaim freedom. Freedom without honest action is a whisper in a storm just as change withoutvision and purpose is the illusion of progress. For ages these people wereliterally beaten to the point of submission by oppression, censure, murder,torture, and rape - regardless of age or gender. I have asked myself whythey let it happen. The only answer I can fathom is that evil flourished because good people refused to pay the price required to oppose it.

Sure, it's easy now to pontificate and blame the poor and down trodden for their collective indifference, but forgive my sarcasm - I think we owe them more than a couple of days to realize that their hopes and dreams have a chance to grow and one day flourish. No amount of rhetoric and no pressing agenda will change the fact that time is required to help heal these people and that ancient grievances require redress. Make no mistake: I'm no crusader -I do what I do because I am a professional soldier. For me it's been simple: protect the innocent, punish the deserving, accomplish my mission and bring my men home, period. As Sting said "Poets, Priests, and Politicians have words to thank for their positions." For a soldier it is black and white:deeds not words. If you need words to better illustrate, the Latin mottos of two Infantry Regiments I have served in will suffice: "Sua Sponte" and "NeDesit Virtus": Of their own accord and Let Valor not fail. Or in true cowboy fashion: Saddle your own horse, cull your own herd, and bury your own dead.

The threat we face is like nothing we've seen before. I've been in the streets with this enemy, fought him face to face, and have been lucky enough to kill him and come out alive. I have seen what he is capable of doing and the zeal with which he will do it. This threat won't fit neatly into "the box" or be governed by any paradigm. It is a cancer within our collective body as the human race. We are all threatened by this evil, and evil it is. This enemy has twisted and distorted things both sacred and profane to guide as well as justify its means and its stated end. Nothing is beyond the realm of the possible when it comes to the depths to which it will sink, the horror it is willing to commit, or the suffering it is willing to inflict. This enemy has no concept of mercy nor does it recognize combatants. Innocence is not a factor. You need only look at the headlines of the day to confirm that children, teachers, and doctors are murdered everyday by these villains. What makes them evil? I submit that it is not the act that earns them the epithet of evil - it is the intent to commit and the pride they draw from the act. These animals revel in the post act announcements that they are responsible. They feel vindicated by the proclamations that they perpetrated these horrors in the name of God and that having committed the seacts some how elevates them.

Make no mistake, this enemy is formidable but by no means invincible. To defeat this cancer requires the one thing thatcivilized people all over the world possess in absolute abundance - The will. The will to be free can only be surrendered by the person that has it - it cannot be murdered, raped, tortured, or stolen. It's not about being a martyr or a saint, it's about being a decent human being. And, the unvarnished truth is that the killing and the horror will continue until those with the will to endure prevail.

I am a simple soldier, proud to serve, but my days in the service of the Queen are drawing to a close. Soon all of the cold war junkies will also begone and you my friends and your band of X generation anti-heroes will have the reigns. Like it or not, you are now the fulcrum upon which the balance beam rests. I will tell you that the outlook is damn good. I am absolutely humbled every day to have the rare privilege to march among the young men and women who chose to give soldiering a try. None finer have ever served under the colors.

Beware the onslaught of false prophets who preach the one size fits allsolution. Look beneath the facade of their self proclaimed patriotism, peelback the shield of their dogma, and you are likely to find a charlatan-malcontent who was passed over for some accolade he feels he richly deserved or a flim-flam artist who knows a chance to make a buck when he sees it. They don't have the will to endure. The will to be free comes at a heavy price. For some it is more than they can bear. Divorce, estrangement, financial burdens, health problems, depression, and even suicide are very real costs. Sacrifice is rarely recognized for what it truly is because the price of recognition is guilt. Parades, giving medals, issuing promotions,and rousing speeches are simply the thin veneer that masks the desperateneed of those who are kept free by our endeavors for absolution from this guilt. Adam Duritz wrote in the song Mrs. Potter's Lullaby that "the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings."

I submit that it is our love of freedom, the embrace of our wives or sweethearts, the love of our children or family, and the earned respect ofour brothers in arms that cast the walls that make the will to endure afortress that can never be taken. I will be proud to stand the watch untilmy time is at an end, but soon you will mount the ramparts and stand the watch alone.

In closing, I leave you with the words of Marcus Aurelius "Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what's left and live it properly. What doesn't transmit light creates its own darkness."

Knute Lombatton

[E-man]

I first saw this flash video about a year ago, I consider myself a big tough guy {usually} as Iam about 6'1 and 230lbs. blah blah blah...
This brought me to tears and even the thing that makes you cough when u cant breath thing...
Its a few mintues long and its about a girl who lost her dad on 9-11. Not police specific but more of an AMERICAN thing...

Enjoy http://www.guzer.com/animations/miss_daddy.php

[Willowdared]

[Willowdared]

Not all heroes are human.

http://www.ctlegalguide.com/SlideShow/caninetribute.htm

[conalabu]

I remember that I had just moved back up to Rome, NY from NYC about six months prior. I was sleeping in that morning and a friend called me as he was crossing from Jersey to NYC. He said I needed to turn on the TV as some bad shit was happening. I lost the call a few seconds later as I stumbled down stairs to watch the second plane hit. The only thing I can remember thinking is someone is in some seriously deep shit. The next thought was for a friend from college that was Secret Service and a room mate from college that was FDNY EMS. I still take a break on 9/11 and I still get chills thinking about those who gave all. Not because they were looking to be a hero, but because that was the job they were sent to do. I hope that all of us can stand tall in the face of such a command.

[Norm357]

[depusm12]

I remember exactly where I was on that horrible day. I wad still in the Navy at that time and I had worked the night before and went to the gym. I had just gotten home and was flipping through the channels when I saw the first plane hit. The phone rang and it was my mom asking if I was watching the news. I told her" hey I gotta get back to work", didn't even have time for a shower and was back on duty. I remember the anger, frustration and pure rage, I felt on that day and thinking " These joker's don't realize they done pissed off the wrong country".

[Dinosaur32]

A good part of that day is a blur.......I know what I did.....but not the exact times. The one thing that I remember vividly is spending the night trying to find our three missing officers in various NYC hospitals. Every ER nurse I spoke with was in tears, so was I..........there were very few injured....that's when the enormity of 9/11 hit me.

[Cabot_517]

I was in the military at the time. I was on duty as an Air Force Security Policeman. When the second plane hit and the Pentagon was hit, My Flight members and I realized that we were in for some rough times. After 19 days straight of working 18-20 hour days, we started to get our deployment orders to Afghanistan.

[Willowdared]

I was a stay-at-home mom at the time. My then husband called and said there was word of a plane into the WTC. My immediate thought was a small plane. When I turned on the tv, I was just dumbfounded.

All I could think was - we are going to war.

I called my Mom, who was a DoD employee at SPAWAR. She was waiting for word there as well. They ended up sending all the civies home, and she came over to my place. We debated getting my son out of school, and ended up heading to Denny's. Funny how people want to be around people in those situations. The place was packed with stunned people. You could almost see the thaw set in, as they began to speak to each other about what this meant.

I still believe that there was an amazing miracle that day, it can't cancel out the horror, but I think the hand of G-d tried to temper the tragedy. The original losses were forecast in the ten's of thousands - the final number - 2749. 2749 too many - may they rest in eternal peace.

[gozling]

I remember I was working on horses at the time on my farm. I sat infront of the TV crying my eyes out screaming that I just watched my mother die...
My mom was to be flying one of the flights and I went nuts trying to locate her. (flight attendant)
I found out that she decided to switch her flight with her roomate (who I knew for a long time) because my moms birthday is the 6th... it was her roomate that hit the trade towers and not my mom...
I then tried to locate my good friends family... he worked in the pentagon...
sadly he died.

It really didnt become real until the several funerals after

I stop and think if I am so pissed off still to this day... how can the families cope....

sometimes i just want to go away and ignore it all because it hurts so much.

I never go to sleep angry and I always say I love you. just something learned...

[bikecop3141]

I was off that day b/c of a training class scheduled for my RDO. I turned on the news and they were talking about a fire and a plane hit. I turned around while on the phone with my wife just as the second plane hit. I said we are under attack, hung up the phone and got ready to go to work. Sure enough, the department called and I spent the next 10 hours helping out in dispatch. I will never forget!!

[Lo523]

I was on duty, and at that time was working in the Intel Unit, when word came through that a plane had crashed into the WTC. We turned on the TV and witnessed the unimaginable horror that unfolded. Everyone in the station stood in shocked silence as the second plane hit, and the enormity of the terrorist attack began to sink in. I cannot begin to decribe the utter outrage we felt, the feeling of uselessness in being unable to do anything to help and the choking emotions we had for the innocent victims and their families. However, I also know our thoughts were with the Police and Emergency Services, in the grim tasks that lay ahead, and our prayers, sorrow and tears were with you.

[Resident Smart Ass]

Check out this Tribute Video

[Emily]

[dla4079]

God bless America and the Hero's that were there!

[Lo523]

That is an amazing image dla.............very powerful.