Service Day

[plankmaker]

try to do something today to help someone out. Take a few cans to the food bank. Go to the VA and donate some old books or magazines. Read to someone at a retirement community. Say thank you to a fireman or policeman. It doesn't have to be huge. Little things count as well.

I thought this was well done:

http://www7.radiovids.com/index_911.php

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[ejazzyjeff]

This day should be remembered/honored for what happened 8 years ago. Make Service Day on any other day.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0903-SEP_FALLINGMAN

[MBond057]

Remembering the 9/11 Attacks

My personal reflections…………

In September of 2001, I was working at American Military University as the Criminal Justice Department Chair in Manassas, VA. I had just retired from active law enforcement earlier that year.

The Cops West Show was a law enforcement convention that was taking place that week in Long Beach, CA. Tom Corbitt was the Student Service Criminal Justice Representative for AMU. Knowing we were going to the show in SoCal, I called a few friends I knew in the LAPD and we were able to arrange a briefing with the LAPD Command Staff to talk about distance education and the benefits of AMU to the LAPD officers. The meeting was set for September 12, 2001. Tom booked us two seats on American Airlines Flight 77 leaving from Dulles International Airport in Sterling, VA the morning of September 11, 2001.

About a week before the planned Southern California Trip, I was notified that the LAPD meeting needed to be changed to the morning of September 11, 2001. I told Tom and he immediately changed our flight plans so that we were leaving a day earlier on September 10, so that we would be on time for the 1130 am meeting with LAPD on the 11th.

Therefore, we left for CA on September 10, 2001 and after arriving in SoCal, Tom and I went over our briefing to the LAPD for the next morning and then got a good night’s sleep.

On September 11, 2001, I awoke early because my internal body clock was still on east coast time. I was in my hotel room and turned on the news, as I got ready for the day. I was watching the news when the 9/11 events occurred. Like many of you, I was stunned at what I was witnessing. After watching the news for a while, I called and woke Tom up. I told him about the attacks and told him to get showered up and come on down to my room so that we could be together and watch the news.

Sometime later Tom knocked on my hotel door, and he had a horrified look on his face when I opened the door. I asked Tom if he was OK and I noticed he was holding two airline tickets in his hands. Tom was in shock and looked upset. I figured I must have the same look on my face because I knew my wife was at work in downtown Washington, DC and I could not reach her by my cell phone. When Tom sat down in my room I told Tom that the Pentagon had also been attacked a little while ago and another plane had crashed somewhere in PA. Tom did not say a word and just passed me the two tickets.

Without looking at the ticket’s, I told Tom that I just heard on the news that the FAA has grounded all commercial airlines and has ordered all airborne flights to land immediately. I told Tom that our meeting with the LAPD and the Cops West Show would probably be canceled. Tom finally spoke and told me to look at the tickets. It was only then did I realize that we were scheduled to be on the flight that crashed into the Pentagon and by fate, our meeting was moved up by one day changing our travel plans.

No one knows why fate intervenes and changes someone’s destiny. Fate or luck changed our plans or we would have been on the plane that was hi-jacked and crashed into the Pentagon.

I just figure that it was not my time, and perhaps I needed to work on bettering myself before I stand before my maker on my Judgment Day.

So, do me a favor today. Pick-up the phone, write a letter, or send an email to someone important in your life and just tell them that you are thinking of them, and value the gift of love and friendship. By doing this simple gesture of kindness, we honor and celebrate our fellow citizens who lost their lives or were injured in the 9/11 attacks.

Please be safe and remember that you are a gift to your family and friends. I realize that every day is a gift. I am a lot more grateful and I take the time to tell my loved ones how much they truly mean to me.

[Marc]

Mark,

You just never know why things happen when they do.

[Pvt. Sweetey]

Most of you may consider me so young that I do not even remember 9/11. You are wrong. I still remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, ect..
I was coming back from somewhere in PA, riding with my father down the interstate in the truck. We were flipping through the radio stations when we heard the news. I said this sounded interesting and we listened to the horrors unfold that morning. I got very upset, and it was around that time I decided to join the U.S. Army when I grew up. My mother pulled over to the side of the road and cried, my siblings do not remember it. I was very angry with the Al Khida or whatever they call themselves. My friend's dad was in the towers, and my cousin was delivering a truckfull of silver to the basement of the tower when thankfully he got caught up in traffic.

All I can say is thank the vets, firefighters, policemen, and all other first responders that serve us every day.



GOD BLESS THE USA

[reddcorp]

I agree with Jazzyjeff:

9/11 should be reserved for remembrance and reflection on the events of the day and those who died, those who were injured, and those who sought to help.
A Day of Service is a good idea, just not on 9/11. Neither Memorial Day nor Veterans Day are designated days of service, they are days of remembrance.

A. Redd

[Marc]

I agree with Jazzyjeff:

9/11 should be reserved for remembrance and reflection on the events of the day and those who died, those who were injured, and those who sought to help.
A Day of Service is a good idea, just not on 9/11. Neither Memorial Day nor Veterans Day are designated days of service, they are days of remembrance.

A. Redd

I would add December 7th to the Remembrance list.

["Doc" Nelson]

We took some time to remember last night, since my Engine Company was on-duty. I agree, no to Service Day, yes to "9-11-01 Rememberance Day" (or whatever you wish to call it). But today, that is all that has been on my mind (especially the friend we thought we lost at the Pentagon). I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. I still remember the feelings I had that morning :( .

[huntdaw]

I thought this was now called 'Patriot's Day'. When did this service day thing come up?

[Confederal]

Sorry but calling for a Service Day on 9/11 for me just doesn't cut it. I see it as a day to honor those that we lost because of COWARDS.
God Bless America.

[brown30741]

Glenn Winuk was an attorney near the WTC on that morning. Trained as an EMT, he rushed in to help, not away for his own safety. Along with a lot of other Americans, he died in service to others that day. His brother Jay cites this commitment by Glenn as his inspiration to help establish September 11th as a "Day of Service and Remembrance." http://911dayofservice.org/Mission/Leadership/

You may not agree with Jay Winuk, but I found him very convincing when I heard an interview with him. He said he did not feel like making this a national holiday for picnics and cookouts was the best way to honor the fallen heros and make American a stronger nation; he felt service would honor the service of those patriots of eight years ago.

I thought back to a discussion many years ago with a friend in the hobby when he said school should be out on Memorial Day so his family could honor the day (and he did not send his daughter to school that day, instead they went to the National Cemetery; that I find meaningful). Every time I drive past a pool party or hear people talk about Memorial Day as a fun day to start summer, I wish school WAS in session with meaningful lessons of patriotic sacrifice, trips to clean and decorate veterans graves within those students' own communities, and family members of patriots there to talk about the meaning of sacrifice to them and the honor due their loved ones. It is a difference of opinion, but for the same cause. We need to keep people connected to the past and to the present beyond their view and it would seem it takes more than a little time for them to "reflect" on their own.

[reddcorp]

A friend of mine was at the Pentagon on 9/11 and was quite close to the impact point. He also happened to be a volunteer fireman so, naturally, he jumped right in to help.
His opinion is that this should be a day of rememberance and doesn't think the day of service on 9/11 is a very good idea, sort of taking away from the reverence. So, opinions may vary.

A.Redd

[Pete K]

I was as the song said "...was teaching a classroom of children...", one of the most chalenging days of my whole carreer. We have a large poulation of airport, railroad, and atomic energy plant workers in our district. Many children were scared, we all thought transportation cneters would be next. It makes a good lesson plan on modern events every early school year. The only scary part is the class I teach this year were only in Kindergarten, most do not remember where they were that day (boy I'm getting old).

[plankmaker]

I was working in downtown Richmond that day, right down the street from the Federal Reserve. Most of the buildings downtown were evacuated. We were told that we were essential and told to stay put in case hazardous waste issues arose. The really hard part started about 2-3 weeks later when they had to make decisions on where to take the debris from the WTC and the Pentagon. We spent about a week with the Mortuary Services teams from Fort Lee going around to various landfills in Virginia to let them determine if They met the requirements of final resting places because they weren't going to be positive that all of the remains had been removed from the debris. That was very sobering.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

[sbl]

I had just got home from the Burkittsville reenactment and was at work. The break room had two TVs so we saw a lot of it as it happened. Later we found out my daughter's doctor, my brother's yacht club friend, and my mother's tenant were killed.

They only time I was "scared" was a few days later when the air traffic was started up again and one dark morning I saw 4-5 sets of landing lights stacked up over Logan Airport looking way too close together. (from my point of view) One quick scare.

WE know Karen Timor has a tale as well.