25 Years Ago… - Soapbox Jr.

And attacked without a warning

Leaving flames and death

And chaos in our streets

And in the middle of this fiery hell… 

brave heroes fell.” – Charlie Daniels “The Last Fallen Hero”

Twenty-five years ago, the world was moving along as usual. People were going to work, dealing with their day-to-day lives as they had done countless times before.

Until the world changed in an instant.

Dad and I have both written extensively about the 21st Century’s version of “the day that will live in infamy” - to borrow from FDR – but on this solemn  anniversary, it’s worth mentioning again.

Mom and Dad had gone to renew their carry permits and were no doubt dealing with long lines and the waiting game that goes along with them.

I had been on an exercise kick, and had lost close to 50 lbs. at that time, with the Atkins Diet and riding my stationary bike. I had been recording Tennessee Titans football games and watching them back when I exercised which worked very well for me.

I was just getting ready to start pedaling when my then wife (now ex-wife) told me to turn the TV on Channel 4 which is Nashville’s NBC affiliate and the NYC based Today show was reporting on a plane striking the World Trade Center’s Tower 1. I knew this was big news, and I called Mom and Dad to let them know.

At first glance, the prevailing theory – which made sense – was that a smaller-sized aircraft had accidentally crashed into the tower.

As callous as it may sound, once I thought I understood the situation – as tragic an event as it was - I decided I was going to go ahead and ride my bike, but before I could start my VCR, the second plane struck the second tower.

Any question of if this was an accident was quickly clarified.

I called Mom and Dad back to let them know that this wasn’t a horrible accident, this was undoubtedly a coordinated attack.

Most people didn’t have the understanding of what was happening, myself included.

Now we understand that radical Islam was at war with the West, even if the West was mostly oblivious to that fact.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The iconic Twin Towers both collapsed. It was like watching a disaster movie, except it was all going on for real in lower Manhattan. 

The rest of the day was spent watching the path of other planes, one that hit the Pentagon, and bits and pieces of one that was headed for parts unknown, until it inexplicably crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, only later understanding the brave attempt to take back the plane that ultimately kept the plane from its intended target. And a large part of the day - and those that followed -  trying to make sense out of what was going on.

Images of clouds of dust which completely enveloped the area and covered locals who were dazed and confused, looking for loved ones, or just trying to get home in the madness.

All aircraft, except for the military were grounded for the rest of the day which made for some eerily empty skies, something that to my knowledge hadn’t happened since the advent of commercial aviation.

We watched more towers fall in the aftermath of the Twin Towers and obsessively watched the news for any answers or good news of survivors.

I remember having a song pitch meeting with Frank Liddell who is married to Lee Ann Womack on September 12, something that was obviously scheduled in advance, but seemed pointless given the events of the previous day. Frank and I both took a while to get into song mode in that meeting.

Whatever wounds the terrorists had hoped to inflict on us seemed to backfire and everyone seemed to remember that regardless of our differences, we were all Americans, and blessed to live in the greatest most free country in the world.

Dad even commented on a live version of “In America” that was recorded a few weeks after the 9/11 Attacks how united as a country we seemed, something that we hadn’t seen in a long time.

Yes, the world changed forever on September 11, 2001, but it slowly started changing back with things happening that would have seemed impossible in the days following the attacks.

Today, there are prominent politicians who will only go as far as to say “something happened” on 9/11 rather than calling it what it was, and the Canadian Broadcasting Company had to clarify its stance on not calling the day’s events “terrorist attacks” only using the phrase when quoting those that have used the phrase.

Yes, the world changed forever on 9/11, then it changed again.

For a brief shining moment of unity, 9/12 seemed like it was the new standard of patriotism and love of country.

I just pray it doesn’t require another national tragedy for us to feel that way again.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America” and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

What do you think?

Let’s all make the day count!

Pray for our troops, our police, the Peace of Jerusalem and our nation.

God Bless America!

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