OKINAWA, Japan - I remember the day more clearly than my own birthday that year. I was in the fifth grade, in line for lunch, when I heard two planes had flown into the World Trade Center towers. At the time, I did not realize exactly what it meant, or even know what the towers were.

When I left school that day, I returned home to find my mother crying and my father angry. He wanted to re-enlist in the Marine Corps to take down the people who had done this. When I saw the news, the planes hitting the towers and later crashing into the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania, I finally understood what happened.

I knew people had died, and the country was about to go to war. I knew what it meant for my own future. Most of my family had served in the military, and I had always wanted to be a Marine.
My grandfather and great uncle served in the Marine Corps as infantrymen during the Vietnam War shortly after the Tet Offensive. My father served in the Marines in the 1980s, and deployed to the Philippines in support of Operation Classic Resolve.

They all served during the wars of their generations. When I saw the towers go down, I made up my mind that day – I would join the Marine Corps and be part of my generation’s fight. I would continue the tradition my family shares of serving in the Corps.
Sept. 11 unified the country in a way that had not happened since World War II. Thousands of brave men and women who wanted to take the fight to the enemy and ensure this never happened again volunteered their service to defend our nation.

As the 11th anniversary of 9/11 has passed, it is important to reflect on what was lost, those who sacrificed their lives to help those during the tragedy, and those who fought in the wars on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq. Remember 9/11 not as a day only of mourning, but also a celebration of life to those who continued and persevered during a dark time in our great nation’s history.