09/11/2026
Twenty-five years later, I can still remember exactly where I was when I heard that America was under attack.
I was working alone as an electrician on a job site in Sylvania that morning. When I heard what was happening, I went numb. I was in disbelief and, like so many people that day, I felt like I needed to be around other people. I left the job site and went across the street to a restaurant where everyone was gathered around the televisions.
The entire restaurant was silent, and everyone was just watching, trying to understand what was happening. I’ll never forget watching the South Tower fall live on television. It was America’s darkest morning, and it was something none of us could have imagined.
There was something else about that day that made it especially personal for me. My son was 17 years old and a senior in high school at the time. He had recently signed up for the Marine Corps and was in the delayed entry program, planning to specialize in counterterrorism.
After the attacks, I pleaded with him not to go through with it. His response was that because terrorists had attacked our country, it was even more of a reason for him to go. To this day I have never been more proud and scared at the same time.
Then came September 12.
I remember how different America felt that day. American flags were everywhere. They were flying from people's homes, hanging from vehicles and being displayed all across the country. It seemed like everyone had come together in solidarity. There was a sense of unity and patriotism that I had never seen before, and honestly, I haven’t seen since.
It was the kind of feeling that made people proud to be an American. Twenty-five years later, I really wish we could find that same sense of unity again.
As we mark this anniversary, I also think about how important it is for newer generations to learn what happened on September 11, 2001. Children graduating from high school today were not even alive when the attacks happened. For them, 9/11 is something they learn about in history rather than something they remember.
That makes it our responsibility to keep telling the story, especially to our future generations so they properly understand what happened and how it completely changed our country.
We must continue to remember what happened that day and honor the thousands of people who lost their lives, the first responders who ran toward danger, the families who were changed forever and the countless Americans who came together in the days that followed.
Twenty-five years later, we remember. We also honor, and most of all we must make sure we never forget.
