9/11: Ten Years Later

Where was I when the towers fell? Look at the bottom right picture of my senior year book. I spent the day glued to the TV in the library. I remember that September 11, 2001 was the first time I heard the words "Jihad"  and "Osama Bin Laden" or of the group known as Al-Qaeda. Today, these words are household names but ten years ago most of us had no idea what they meant. The footage of the people jumping out of the windows still haunts me to this day. I can not begin to fathom their desperation. Today the History Channel is airing multiple specials on the events of 9/11 and it's kind of surreal to see something from my lifetime on THC. Surreal and terrifying.

I grew up as an Army Brat, understanding 'duty to country' more than most other kids my age but at the age of 17, in a small and rural town in Missouri, I had no idea how much 9/11 and the War on Terror would affect and shape my future.

I met Mike in the fall of 2002. He entered the Army's DEP (Delayed Entry Program) in the fall of 2003 and left for boot camp in January 2004, immediately following his graduation from college. We made the decision together because  we knew that him enlisting in the Army in this day in age meant that he'd be going to war.

It's been 10 years since that terrifying day. Since then, I've grown up and gone from Army Brat to Army Wife.  Our marriage his withstood two deployments to Iraq and thank God my husband made it home safe, but we've lost friends along the way. Friends whose names did not even make headlines because things like Paris Hilton's latest sexcapade were more "newsworthy." Their names will never be read on national television and no yearly memorials will be held for them, except by those of us who knew them and truly remember them in our hearts.

What really gets me going are the multimillion dollar settlements that were awarded to the families of the victims of 9/11. The Victim Compensation Fund was created by an Act of Congress to compensate the families in exchange for their agreement not to sue the airlines involved. The average settlement was 1.7 million dollars and the total payout was around $7 billion dollars.  Out of all of the families involved only two people, an elderly Brooklyn woman and a priest, denied compensation.  Obviously no amount of money will make up for the loss of a loved one but many families felt that the compensation they were offered was far too low.

When a service member dies, his or her family receives the death benefits from the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, or SGLI with a maximum payout of $400k. For many of our underpaid Armed Forces, this is the only life insurance policy they can afford. Yes, enlisting in the Army, USMC, Air Force or Coast Guard is a choice but so is putting on a Police or Firefighter's uniform. Why did Congress hold their sacrifices to a higher "value" when they were doing their duty, just the way our fighting men and women continue to do each and every day? Over 3,000 children lost a parent on 9/11 and I can't begin to even imagine how many children have lost a father or mother in the War on Terror. This is even more upsetting in light of recent events during the debt ceiling crisis when Congress threatened to not even pay our military members for their service.

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11 has received a lot of recognition and attention with tribute films, commercials and even ribbons on NFL jerseys. I will never forget the way the events of that dark day put America on her knees and I fully understand why we honor and remember all those lost each year. Here comes the controversial part: I don't understand why America has tunnel vision when it comes to the events surrounding 9/11 and what unfolded afterward.  Around 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001. While tragic, it doesn't even come close to the death tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's really terrible especially because many, including myself, could argue that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.   I watched the reading of the names this morning and I one or two people even mentioned or remembered our Armed Forces.

Many would argue that Memorial Day is the day America has set aside to remember our fallen troops. I'm sure there are many Americans who do in fact take time out of their day to reflect and remember but it's been my observation that most lose sight of the true meaning of the holiday and focus more on things like barbeques, three day weekends and sales on major appliances.

There are no nationally recognized ceremonies, save for the small ones hosted at VFWs, cemeteries, military installations and other locations of the like. Losing a loved one is a tragedy, no matter the circumstances surrounding their death and I am not trying to diminish the loss America suffered on September 11, 2001. I am merely am only trying to point out that America has suffered many more losses since then. Losses that are lost in the headlines and barely receive recognition from the 99% of American population non serving in our Armed Forces. While people like my military friends, my husband and myself remember our fallen troops each and every day, it would be really excellent if America would also honor the sacrifices of our Armed Forces in the same way they honor the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001. To all the victims, the heroic police officers and firefighters, the search and rescue dogs, the brave passengers of Flight 93, all the unnamed who helped with the aftermath, the Navy Seal team who finally brought Bin Laden to justice and to all of all of our troops who have paid the ultimate sacrifice: I am eternally grateful for your bravery and sacrifice. Rest easy. I will never forget.