by Ami, Military Spouse and Exchange Guest Blogger

I was just thirteen when it happened. We were stationed at Eielson AFB, Alaska and it was still dark outside; a few more hours would pass before the sun would rise. It was quiet and peaceful as we slept safely in our beds – the complete opposite of what was happening on the other side of the country.  A few hours later, my mom came into the room my sister and I shared and gently woke us. She told us that there would be no school today, which in our sleep-yearning, groggy minds was news to celebrate. She told us that something had happened in New York City and Washington D.C. and security had been tightened; that everyone would stay at home with their families today. We didn’t really understand it then, so we soon fell back asleep.

When we awoke an hour later, and came down to see our parents glued to the TV screen, it became clear that something very serious had happened. I remember seeing the images being replayed of smoke booming out of the towers, people running around with terror in their eyes, people jumping out of buildings; utter chaos. As we watched the rescuers digging through the rubble and newscasters trying to piece together what had happened, fear began to creep in. How did this happen to our country? Were we safe? What would happen next?

As life began to move on in our corner of the world, fear still lingered. People wondered if we would be targeted next: a thought on many Americans’ minds. Security at the base gates was heavily increased. There were talks of large numbers of military being deployed, which brought the first time I remember being afraid of my dad getting sent away to a war zone for months. We were shaken. Our lives were different now.

But, as Americans often demonstrate, we, along with the rest of the nation, proved to be resilient. We channeled our fear and turned it into strength. I remember going through the gate at Fort Wainwright, a nearby military installation, and my dad asking the guard how he was doing.  He responded with an extremely enthusiastic, “Highly motivated, sir!” Fear had turned into courage and unity, and had brought out the patriotism that we so often place on the back burner. People all over were coming together and loving each other through such a horrible time; looking fear in the eye and saying “Not this time.” We had taken a hit, but this would not bring us down.

That has proven true year after year since that ugly day in September, eleven years ago. And each year when that infamous date comes by, we remember. And we will never forget. We will never forget that day when nearly 3000 lives were lost, needlessly. We will never forget the fear and horror we felt watching it unfold. But we will also never forget the bravery of the men and women who responded and saved lives that day and the days that followed. We will never forget how we banded together and made something strong and beautiful out of a hideous situation. We will never forget how we persevered. Life will never go back to how it was before that tragic day-it changed us, individually, and as a country. But, as people often say, it takes tribulations to show how strong something really is, and from the ashes of September 11^th, we, as a nation, proved to ourselves and the world what we are made of. And I don’t think we’ll be the only ones who won’t forget.

What does September 11 mean to you? Leave a comment below to share with us.

The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service.

Tagged as: 9/11, AAFES, Army and Air Force Exchange, Guest Blog, Military, September

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