AN ORDINARY, EXCEPTIONAL DAY

Remembrances

The poor and wealthy, the young and old, the powerful and pitiful will gather, contemplate and reflect on the tragedy and aftermath of the events of 9/11.

Our happy and productive nation received a shot to the gut. People watched in disbelief at what had happened in New York. One of the World Trade Towers had been struck by a jet.

Then, the second tower was hit by a second jet.

Drama was also playing out over Pennsylvania as brave passengers foiled an attempt to assault another American icon with a third jet.

This attack had been months in planning and was perfect in execution. Osama bin Laden was behind the assault and he has paid for this criminal act with his life.

The goal of the attacks was to create terror in the United States. It did reveal our weaknesses – but instead of terror it created a determined counter-terror culture that will never rest.

Revenge has not brought back the professionals, loved ones and precious people that lost their lives and livelihood due to the attack.

But revenge is being meted out and will be executed whenever a plot for another attack is discovered.

We applied our energies and technologies to the problems, our best and brightest are an army of volunteers fighting a war that is keeping the conflict a half a world away.

We mourn and honor the loss of our soldiers – but there is a lesson … terror has lost; resolve has won.

There may be attacks on the US in the future. We even have homegrown idiots that engage in destructive plots.

The US will continue to deliberately and effiently play deadly “Whack-A-Mole” with any fresh crop of insurgents.

With the same reverence that we have for the Concord Bridge, Gettysburg, the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge, Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima and every foot of land in which American and allied troops have fought and died – we honor the victims, the heroes and the nation that has lived a decade past 9/11.

Monuments in concrete and steel, glass and light and water will remind us that an ordinary day may turn into a world-altering event. It will also remind us that this nation is great, strong, sweet and dedicated to the idea that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are things that evildoers cannot destroy.

There is a prayer, deep resolve and devotion to this land in every American heart.

Future generations may ask what any or all of these monuments mean – and a voice will rise to remind them of just who we are and the rich heritage they have received.

© tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com