Memorial to 9/11

SEMPTEMBER 11

 

It was a few minutes of 9:00, on a nice fall-like Tuesday morning, when I turned on the car radio on my way to Topeka, KS.  I don’t often listen to the radio when I drive but decided I’d listen to some music. As you might imagine, I was stunned to hear the announcer saying something about an airplane that had crashed into a building. ‘What building, where?’ I thought. ‘What is he talking about?’ 

Like most of America, I first thought this must have been an accident. I couldn’t possibly imagine anyone would have intentionally done anything like that. It never even entered my mind that this was intentional. We all know now that it was no accident. Not only that plane but 3 others were bent on destruction that day.  

I pulled into the parking lot of the Kansas State Historical Society and went up to our workroom. Already there were huddles of people gathered around radios, and others scrounging up TV’s to watch what has happening to New York City. As if that wasn’t bad enough, we watched horror upon horror added to the catastrophe that started it all. The second tower was hit and the pentagon was hit. By this time family members were beginning to call passengers on the fourth plane alerting them to the day’s happenings. 

We have learned a lot more since then, as, naturally, time rolled on like a scroll revealing a little bit at a time what had led up to this most horrible of horrible days in American history and what has transpired since. We learned of the cunning and the bravery, the butchery and the sacrifice, the bad and the good of people. 

Lives were inexplicably shattered forever. America was changed, never to be the same again. Our innocence was gone, our naiveté was shattered. We reeled in shock that anyone would do anything terrible to our beloved America.

But we are strong, resilient. We look adversity in the eye and say “CHARGE!” We are the land of the free and the home of the brave – very brave! We have overcome adversity in the past and we’ll do it again tomorrow. We still have some sense of value for life, which is more than we can say for the murderers of that day.

But we must not forget, we must not let down our resolve, we must not give in to the evil men, and we must not lose sight of who we are and from where we have come. We must not! We cannot or we will be not!

Take a moment of silence today and reflect on all we lost that day, and renew your resolve to do your part to keep this country strong and great.

-Suzanne Guinn

 

Here is a Tribute to 9/11 that is on the Internet.

 

 THE EAGLE’S TEAR

 

I

She climbed the currents and soared the skies,
Kept watch o'er nests and her allies.
To help protect those in her world
As she flew forth with wings unfurled.

She cared for all though poor or king
That fell beneath her shadowing wing.
Yet evil lurked throughout the land
And deep inside the heart of man.

They planned their day to maim and kill.
Their goal the eagle's heart to still.
They did not know her strength and skill
Or those who'd rally from her trill.

As she rose up that fateful morn
The scene she saw filled her with scorn.
She swooped and cawed her mad alarm
But could not stop that dreadful harm.

 

II

Some chicks were hurt and more were dead.
The smoke and fire raged over head.
What have they done and why choose here,
This land that stands for freedoms dear?

Her heart was pained with what she saw.
Her voice rose up with anguished caw.
Her nest was clawed and torn apart.
Her breast was pierced with guided dart.

The life she knew came crashing down.
Debris rained forth with deafening sound.
The call rang out throughout the world
As to the earth more lives were hurled.

Then from her eyes a tear fell down
Upon her breast of feathered brown.
Her heart was crushed and filled with pain,
As smoke rose up from isle and plain

 

III

This monstrous deed made friends from foes
As word rang out about her woes.
They stood with others one and all.
They damned this deed which came to mall.

They gave her strength, and came to hail,
"You must not falter, must not fail.
We cannot let them think they've won.
We'll help rebuild, you must go on."

Thus many came from near and far,
They worked beneath both sun and star.
Their hands, their hearts, their all was given
With strength that came from God in heaven.

So she rose up, her strength renewed,
Shook off the dust to build anew.
She's stronger now and wiser too.
For truth is freedom's best review.

 

IV

They missed her spirit on that day.
They tried but could not take away,
The heart and soul of freedom's flame,
Though still they chant their hate and blame.

Her wounds and scars run deep within
But with God's help she'll heal again.
And through her friends by whom she's loved
She gains her strength to rise above.

The day, when some had hoped she died,
We'll not forget the eagle cried.
But though she's sad of this be sure,
She will rise up, she will endure.

And though she mourns her loss that day
 In depths so deep she did not stay,
But scaled new heights of freedom's skies.
Of this be sure, the eagle flies!

Suzanne Guinn, c2001

 

Today in History

2001 In an unprecedented, highly coordinated attack, terrorists hijack four U.S. passenger airliners, flying two into the World Trade Center towers in New York and one into the Pentagon, killing thousands. The fourth airliner, headed toward Washington likely to strike the White House or Capitol, is crashed just over 100 miles away in Pennsylvania after passengers storm the cockpit and overtake the hijackers.

 

Now You Know!