What do you see? #NeverForget

In 2002, I was walking through a store when I saw a poster photo of Lower Manhattan. At that time, seeing the World Trade Center buildings tower in the NYC skyline was a source of pain for our country. The wounds were still raw as we wrestled with what was to come next for our country; movies set for release afterwards were even re-shot to remove the iconic towers in the wake of the attacks. I bought, framed, and have kept it on my wall and in my office since.

I joined the Marine Corps as an Infantry Officer and shortly afterwards, and served in Pres Bush's surge to Iraq followed shortly by serving in Pres. Obama's surge to Afghanistan. After returning home, I took orders as a Combat Instructor to The Basic School - where Marine Corps Officers received their initial 6 months of training in officership, leadership, and basic military strategy and tactics. Mounted on my wall in the office in Quantico, was the photo I'd had at that point for a decade - of the Twin Towers towering over the NYC skyline. I was training my students to continue the wars I had fought in, the wars started on 9/11 - so I asked them what they saw and why they thought I had the Twin Towers on my wall.

Many answered with emotions or a description of the towers or a memory from the day of the attack; they saw "anger" or "the reason why I joined the Marines." What I see in that photo, what I joined the Marines to fight for, and what I hope we will return to soon: A world at peace. On Sept 10, 2001 - there was no active conflict that we were sending Marines and soldiers off to fight in. We were not afraid of the next attack to come or, of what global terrorist group would derail a train or bomb a building or behead a journalist next.

This year, as the past 17 years, we memorialize the fallen of 9/11 while our heroes still fight and fall in conflicts started by those attacks. I hope and pray this year as I have for many of the past years - that this is the last time. Never Forget the attack that happened on 9/11. Never Forget the many who have fought for, been injured, and died in the battles since. Never Forget the families that have lost so much in our country. But also, Never Forget our goal - that soon we can memorialize the fallen and heroes of 9/11 with the knowledge that we found our way back to the world they would have wanted for their families and children, to a world at peace.

#military #milvets #veterans #9/11 #NeverForget