September 11th, 2001… a day we will never forget! A Navy wife’s story.
September 11, 2001 is a day we will never forget, it not only changed our lives, but it changed the way things are done all over the world; from extra security to a renewed sense of pride of our Country and our Armed Forces. As I sit here writing this post for the millionth time, the tears have not stopped falling down my face; for a day that changed the world.
The excitement was intense! I remember being a a newlywed, my Husband was on his way back from a 6 1/2 deployment to the Middle East
; our second deployment ever! We had a baby girl and things just seemed that they were about to be perfect… as soon as Daddy’s ship came home in a couple of days.
I spent the night at my friend’s house, we had fallen asleep in the living room after we had been working on our “Welcome Home” signs. Then it happened, the news woke me up; people screaming, sobbing, the reporters were frantically speaking. It took me a few seconds to realize what in the world was going on, what in MY world was going on.
The first tower was hit, the second tower was on the t.v and I watched with complete shock as the plane goes into the building. Fear, tears, anger, and more fear & tears took over me. I looked at my baby girl who was sleeping next to me, so peacefully, so innocent; so unaware of how the terrorists just shook up her entire world. I immediately thought about my husband, “oh my God” he was supposed to come home in two days! What now, what was going to happen with him? What was going to happen to our Military? and then another thing… my in-laws were supposed to have been on a 6am flight to SD, Ca. from NY. “oh no!!! oh my God!!” what if they were on that plane? What if they were on one of the other planes that by now had crashed, what if they were still there and more attacks were about to happen? “Oh my God!” my step son & his mother live in the city, so do other of my husband’s family members, where are they? HOW are they?
My world was upside down and spinning at the same time. I was a mess!! Sobbing is an understatement.
My husband was an IT (information systems technician), a satellite/computer/communications guy to us non-Military people, lol. He was one of the few who had the ability and privilege of making and receiving calls while they were deployed. I tried calling his ship a million times in a row, it was to be expected that the lines were down or busy. What happened to him, where is he, is he in danger?!? I sat for what seemed an eternity on the floor, holding my baby, sobbing, with everyone in my Prayers.
Then my phone rang, my caller i.d said “U.S. Government”. My heart sank, it immediately thought the worst, was it someone notifying me of something that happened to my husband!?!? I answered in the quietest and terrified voice ever
Me: “hello?”
Husband: “Baby, it’s me, are you okay?”
Me: (sobbing)
Husband: “it’s okay mama, it’s going to be okay, I knew you were going to be worried about me, so I called you as soon as we were done with official calls”
Me: (sobbing) “oh my God Will, where are yo? what’s going on!?!?” why?!??!
Husband: “I don’t know mama, I love you, be strong”
Me: your parents Will, they were supposed to be on the 6am flight here, I can’t reach them, what about our son, what about your cousins and aunt?!?
Husband: “I don’t know anything baby, but keep me posted if you hear anything from anyone, keep in mind that phone lines are down everywhere. I have something to tell you”
Me: “oh my God, what??!”
Husband: “we can’t come home tomorrow anymore, we are being redirected to NY…
Me: “NO, WHY?!?”
Husband: “honey, we are active duty, we have to go and protect, it’s our job”
Me: (SOBBING & SCREAMING: NO, NO, NO!!!”
Husband: “baby, I’m sorry, I have to go, I want to go. We have to guard our waters, I have to go now, I love you baby and kiss little mama for me”
Silence. Fear. Anger. Fear. Confusion. Paranoia. Tears to fill an ocean, then my baby wakes up; and smiles at me.
I knew exactly why he wanted to go, why he had to go, not just because it was his job, but because it was OUR WORLD, HIS DAUGHTER’S WORLD.
I will never forget that conversation, it is embedded in my brain because I feared with every fearing fiber in my body; that it was going to be the last conversation I ever had with my husband.
Today has been an extremely emotional day, we now live in NY, my baby girl is now 12 years old, and today in school she learned the real, uncensored, painful truth of September 11th, 2001. The ugliness that her Mother tried to shield her from for years. We cried, we sobbed, we sat with the neighborhood girls from her school and they told me all of the stories they heard, the videos they watched, they showed me videos of the towers falling, the planes crashing, the people screaming; and they asked if they could interview me about that day for a school project.
After we all finished crying, we said Prayers for everyone and we hugged 😉 My daughter can’t stop crying, she believes so much could have been done to prevent it, she hurts so much for those heroes on the planes, for the firemen who helped save so many. She explained that she is angry abut the people complaining about too much security in the airports and that they should think about 9/11 and be thankful that those measurements are in place, like the The Patriot act.
The Patriot act, who many people don’t know stands for
Uniting (and) Strengthening America (by) Providing Appropriate Tools Required (to) Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001))
is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001.
Where were you? what/how have you spoken to your kids about it?
Do you have a September 11th related post?
share it, join the linky…
This is a comment my husband left below, I wanted to share 😉
Every year when this day comes up I have so many mixed emotions about it. Before that moment I never really realized just how important out job was. Just how many people depended on us and didn’t even know it. One of my greatest accomplishments was serving in the US armed forces.
Every year when this day comes up I have so many mixed emotions about it. Before that moment I never really realized just how important out job was. Just how many people depended on us and didn’t even know it. One of my greatest accomplishments was serving in the US armed forces.
my kids, my husband, myself, my whole family still get emotional about this day. my twins were too young to remember, but my oldest was 3 and she actually remembers a lot of it. i had friends who worked in the towers and at the pentagon. i had friends who were pilots, one of whom was actually supposed to be the captain of one of the AA planes that crashed (he swapped shifts with another pilot to be at an event for his son). i had a miscarriage that day. it was awful. just an awful day. i am thankful for your husband.
Thanks for sharing this post. I think it is an emotional day for many. It is a day that never will be forgotten.
It’s amazing how so many of us reacted in the same way and yet can dis agree on so many things like airport security.
So glad to hear that everyone was okay, and thank you and your family for sacrificing your precious husband and father for our freedom!
I will never forget this day, nor should I or anyone else! I couldn’t comprehend what was going on at first either and it happened right when I arrived at the school where I was teaching. The next thing I know all the parents are coming in to drop their kids off, scared, worried and confused, which you can imagine was picked up by their children. We all stood around the tv’s watching until too many kids arrived and we had to go to our classrooms. It was terrible and I never want to see anything like that again, and I pray our children never will!
You my dear have so much to be thankful for and so very much to be proud of. I feel for everyone effected in any way that day. War on America a God fearing country ! Who do they think they are? Your family is in my prayers.
You made me tear up… I am so glad to have brave men like your husband in our country, but I also selfish and glad my husband isnt one of them because I dont think I would have the strength
My oldest was only 2.5 and my other two were not even born. so many memories of that day
Wow! That would be such a hard thing to endure for sure. I’m glad you have taught your daughter how to truly respect that painful tear in our history. Its not easy to teach our children the painful things that happen in the world, but so necessary to create compassionate children who love, respect and understand others and the world around them. I thank your husband for his bravery and his service to our country and thank you for supporting that. 😉
I cried reading your story. Its all very emotional to me, so I couldn’t imagine it for you. I am thankful for your husband. Our Freedom isn’t free.
Hello. And Bye.
Hello. And Bye.
I live 25 miles from NYC so 9/11 I had family and friends that work in the city and close to what we now call Ground Zero. Thankfully after a few hours we found that they were safe but knowing that so many lost their lives and our country had been attached in such a cowardly way has remained in my heart and I for one will never forget and I pray for our first responders that lost their lives and for our service men and women that defend out country every day.