9/11 September 11, 2001 by Phillip J. Crom

From MemoryArchive

Who: Phillip J. Crom
What: 9/11 attacks
When: September 11, 2001
Where: Viewpoint from Indiana

---

Allentown, Pennsylvania- I remember where I was on Sept. 11, 2001 when the first plane hit the World Trade Center: I was in court in Vincennes, Indiana. When the judge came in and expressed his condolences for the families of the people there, and in Washington D.C., a murmur ran through the crowd: what was he talking about? my mom and I looked at each other and we felt sort of clueless, but when we got to the car, it was all over the news.

Everything had stopped: every regular broadcast was pre-empted to cover what became the second of two of the darkest days in American history. we got home in time to see the second plane hit the WTC, and I can honestly say not many things make me cry but as I watched those towers collapse I cried. looking back I am not sure if it was my own pain or the collective pain of the nation I was proudly born into; I may never know but I do know that when the sorrow subsided, something else came forth: anger. a great deal of anger. who did this? where are they? lets kick their &%*es, I said to myself.

hold on, now, theres more. thats when the reports of flight 93 and the first victory in the war on terror came: I whooped and hollered because I knew that someone had fought back. the fight was on and I had a gut feeling that the pitbull-like tenacity of the American people would prevail. but for months after, it seemed as though all we could do is hurt. that wound ran deep, very deep, and I'll explain how deep later.

a year later, I was in Marysville, California, and I was given the unique opportunity to write an essay in a contest ( the Spirit of Freedom Awards) for my hometown paper, and I gave it everything I had: I pulled all the stops creatively to tell my story and convey a message of hope and strength. to my suprise, i took first place. that doesn't matter, except that victory is for all those who didn't make it in 9/11/01, I won that for them and got the message out. at the award ceremony I spoke only briefly, though some say i am long winded I suprised everyone by simply saying I hoped that the message was worthy of those it was written about.

I think I did O.K.

I also wrote them ( the terrorists) a letter once, but I doubt I can post the whole contents on here because of the graphic nature of the letter and the extreme language I used. but I can tell you how it started and ended: it started "dear stupid idiots without honor," and ended "yours truly, the Angry American (one of millions)". (thank you Toby Keith for that rallying cry). I basically told them off in about 50 different ways, I think it was my way of coping with the deep anger and hurt. I never got to mail it, but some day, I just might. I'll address it to Osama bin Laden and stick a pinless hand grenade in with it. I'll take a fine tip pen and write the name of every person who died on 9/11 (NY,Washington D.C. and Pa.), 5/11 (Madrid) and 7/7 (London) on the grenade before I put it in there so that justice will be done. or, maybe I'll burn it. maybe I'll just hide it somewhere. I don't know I am still coping with that.

in 2004, I went to New York City, and I went to Ground Zero and thats when I realized how deep the wound in Americas' heart was. the silence, the.. the right words to describe it escape me. it was so sad I cried (again). but again, that anger surfaced: we knew who did this, and we were gonna bring them down. but as I passed by Ground Zero, all I could say was, " oh god.. oh god."

how could someone do this sort of thing? HOW? I don't know the answer and I doubt, gentle reader, you do either. as I left the site, I realized there is still much evil in the world, that day it took a physical form and killed 4000+ people at the WTC, the Pentagon, and in Western Pa. but there is much good, too, because I think of those who rushed into those burning buildings with no regard for their own life to save others, I think of those who took back that plane (flight 93) and struck down evil where it stood.

this year, and every year since that horribly tragic morning, I mark a moment of silence and a prayer thanking God for those who would stand against the darkness. I pray for the families of all those lost and I ask he give them some comfort and hope. this year, though, I got 2 patches from the Navy Exchange and put it on my leather jacket: on the left arm, the Operation Noble Eagle patch; on the right the Culpepper Flag. for those unfamiliar with this flag, it is a red and white striped flag with a rattlesnake across it and black petters at the bottom: " Don't Tread On Me." don't tread on me, I think thats a collective sentiment from this country.

if you read this, I hope perhaps I have touched off something in you: not hate, not anger, but hope. hope that good will win the day and already has won the day, that we can't just wave our flags for a year or two and then be content to go back to the way we were.when iron becomes steel it can't go back to being iron, we must not forget how that day changed us for better or worse. that day still echoes within the fiber of my being: it made me stronger.

I especially want to thank those who are overseas fighting to make this world right again. our troops and the collective troops of any nation who fights against those who would kill innocents. I also want to extend my heartfelt condolences to our bretheren in Spain who felt their own loss on 5/11/04 and to our brothers in arms in England who felt evils' sting on 7/7/05.

they awoke the sleeping giants, and P.S., they're pissed. (thanks to Thumper of Thumpers' wavs for that righteous quote.)

Phillip J. Crom, Also known as LTK

Co-opted from Wikipedia's Personal Experiences Page