Remembering September 11 twenty-four years ago

Today. Sept. 11, marks the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C., and NYC. 

 Those of us of a certain age will recall where we were when the news broke of the planes hitting the Pentagon, towers and a field in Pennsylvania. We watched the TV in horror and pledged to ourselves we would always remember. 

Flags appeared where flags had never been before. Songs were written and monuments were made. At that moment we believed that the love for our country, those lost, first responders and veterans would forever be in the forefront of our everyday lives. We would remember. 

Not unlike other traumatic events that occurred for other generations. If you are old enough, you’ll remember, the Bay of Pigs in 1961, the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, and the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. 

Some of you may remember the “a date which will live in infamy” — December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. 

Each of these events have things in common. The one I’m addressing today is the military. They were the ones that were attacked, like with Pearl Harbor, or the ones who responded to the attacks, like with the hostage crisis.  

There are many other known and unknown times that the military has responded to help fight for our American way of life. We live in a country that isn’t being bombed daily, where groups of people aren’t dying from starvation, where suicide bombers on our streets aren’t normal. We owe a debt that can never be fully paid to veterans and their families. 

This Saturday, you have a chance to pay tribute to our veterans. There is a military appreciation game at 2 p.m. at the Riverside football field in Basin. You don’t have to be part of the Riverside Rebels family to come to the game with your support. 

Wear red, white or blue, honk your horn, clap, cheer, etc., when veterans and their families are asked to stand. Sing the National Anthem and America the Beautiful at the top of your lungs (on key or off). Bring a small American flag to wave. Get a poppy from the American Legion Auxiliary table to wear. The poppy is the flower of our fallen soldiers.    

No matter your political affiliation, religion, etc., we can be joined in one thought: “We do remember.”