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How the WTC Changed my life
FreeRepublic.com ^ | 12/10/2002 | Long Cut

Posted on 12/10/2002 8:06:29 PM PST by null and void

Everyone, may I tell a story? It deals with patriotism.

On November 13, 1978, a quite typical pair of parents brought their then-ten year old boy to Manhatten to show him around the city of his birth. The boy was fascinated, and, in the modern parlance, "blown away" by the huge buildings and the lights and the noise. Such things were almost beyond his comprehension, having grown up in a sedate suburb an hour to the north.

He thrilled to the subway, reveled in the cultures he saw in Little Italy and Chinatown and Harlem. He lit candles at St. Patrick's Cathedral for his cousin (Viet Nam, 1969) and his late grandmother. He saw the relentless lights of Broadway and Times Square. One experience, amongst all of these, stood out however.

That highlight was a tour of the World Trade Center, then the world's tallest buildings (or so Pop said...). He stood before the immense towers, looking up, and up, and UP, saying "WOW!" in that infectious way of ten-year-olds. As he walked past, still staring at the reflection of the sky above him, a kindly cop, in one of the old-fashioned uniforms of the day, a huge blue greatcoat, touseled his hair with a jolly smile and a slight accent,"They're BIG, ain't they, Lad?"

After a thrilling ride in what must have been the largest elevator in the world, the boy stood on the TOP floor, face pressed against the glass, looking at the magnificence of the world below. The wondrous city. The bold, beautiful Statue in the Harbor. Ellis Island, whence his grandparents disembarked at the Century's turn, to start their new lives as...AMERICANS!

The word blazed in the boy's consciousness like it never had before. AMERICA had done all this, this majesty he saw on that cold, clear day. And in his wonder at that thought, he realized that HE WAS A PART OF IT!!! It was HIS legacy, and all others who said that Pledge of Alliegience.

I'll never forget that day...it was the day I fell in love for the first time, not with a woman, but with my country. Not with a person, but with an Ideal I saw as clearly as a rising Sun in my head that day. It WAS love...a Patriot's kind of love. I had seen my country's abilities, its strength, its potential and I had been swept away by it, forever.

My father bought me a small souvenier coin that they sold there for about five bucks. It had the date and my name engraved over an image of the Twin Towers, backed on the tails side by the Statue of Liberty. I wonder if he and Mom knew what they were doing that day, what it would mean to me in my life.

I carry that coin to this day, in the arm pocket of my flightsuit. It travels with me everywhere, on missions, to class with my students(ALL of whom have seen it and heard similar words to these). It reminds me.

It reminds me of the sorrow I felt on Black Tuesday when I watched, tears streaming, one of my most treasured memories assaulted, brutalized, penetrated, and destroyed. As Mrs. Cut and I wept for the dead, I wept for that piece of the puzzle that is me that died. I also swore vengeance, in whatever way my abilities allowed. I'm in this war for the duration. I WILL have revenge on those blackguards who killed so many, and so much, but that is for a later time. I'm sure that there are others like me out there.

That small, cheap piece of kitschy metal in my pocket now serves me as a challenge...to work out harder, that I may remain strong and resilent against my enemies. To study well my technical manuals, that my skills do not degrade. To push my students to their limits in training, that they may survive, and carry on the fight. Whenever I tire, I look at the coin...and go on.

Myy first love was found on those Towers, that quarter-century ago. It was assaulted at that very site, among others.

Someday, when this all is over and those who did it and their friends are wiped from the Earth, I will return there. Not before then, though.

I would LOVE to do as my father did, and take a bright young Son or Daughter to that great city, and take them once again to the hights of the sky in "the Tallest Building In The World" to introduce them to their Country and their Birthright, as was done for me. Perhaps they too will fall deeply in love with it, as did I.

Rebuild. Make it BETTER. Make it a monument once again, not to the dead, not to PERSONS, but to a shining IDEAL.




TOPICS: Editorial; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: memories; prideinamerica; wtc
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I thought this deserved a thread of its' own
1 posted on 12/10/2002 8:06:29 PM PST by null and void
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To: null and void; Long Cut
God bless you for your service, LC. And God bless the men that fly and fight.

/john

2 posted on 12/10/2002 8:13:19 PM PST by JRandomFreeper
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To: null and void
I thought this deserved a thread of its' own

I couldn't agree more! God bless you.

3 posted on 12/10/2002 8:15:10 PM PST by Humidston
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To: null and void
Brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. Thank you for the post. :-(
4 posted on 12/10/2002 8:15:33 PM PST by areafiftyone
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To: null and void
bump
5 posted on 12/10/2002 8:17:40 PM PST by perfect stranger
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To: null and void
I just had the TV blaring at my side, as I roamed around FR and read emails....

When I saw this title I reached over and clicked the TV off, in order to give this thread my undivided attention. It was worth at least that much....
6 posted on 12/10/2002 8:17:59 PM PST by Humidston
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To: areafiftyone; Long Cut
That's what it did for me as well. Long Cut was kind enough to allow me to post it as a separate thread
7 posted on 12/10/2002 8:18:40 PM PST by null and void
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To: null and void
Thanks again, Null. Just THINKING about that day makes me swell up. It was almost like I became AWARE that day, of everything that existed BEYOND me. It affected everything I did after that...my career choices (the Armed Service was always a foregone conclusion; my tying it to aviation came later), even my conservatism...all of it grew out of that awakening.

And my Dad thought it would just be a fun day in NYC. Goes to show that YOU NEVER KNOW what your kids'll think of what you show them. Our heritage should be passed on so to ALL our children.

8 posted on 12/10/2002 8:20:24 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: Kathy in Alaska; radu; DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet; bentfeather; AntiJen; SpookBrat; SK1 Thurman; ...
PING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ladies, maybe you best bring a box of kleenex.

Anyone ELSE have a story like this? Seems this would be a good thread to post it on.


9 posted on 12/10/2002 8:27:28 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: Long Cut; null and void
Null, I am so glad you posted this as a separate thread!

LC, you write beautifully. Thanks so much for the ping.
10 posted on 12/10/2002 8:32:25 PM PST by Jen
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To: null and void; Long Cut; Mrs. Cut
"I thought this deserved a thread of its' own"

Indeed it does null and void !

Long Cut
SALUTE
11 posted on 12/10/2002 8:33:16 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
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To: Humidston
Thanks for giving it a look.
12 posted on 12/10/2002 8:33:54 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: null and void; Long Cut
Great idea giving this it's own thread!

Excellent job Long Cut.
13 posted on 12/10/2002 8:34:18 PM PST by SAMWolf
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To: AntiJen
Appreciate it, Jen, thanks. Give some of your buds a ping, 'kay?
14 posted on 12/10/2002 8:34:57 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: null and void; Long Cut; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; JohnHuang2; MeeknMing
Thanks to both of you...Long Cut for the words and emotions, for sharing some of your private life with us...and null and void for giving LC's words a life of their own.

Tonk, Meek, and John, this thread is well worth a major ping!
15 posted on 12/10/2002 8:36:26 PM PST by HiJinx
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
"SALUTE "

RETURNED, SMARTLY!!!!!!!


16 posted on 12/10/2002 8:36:58 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: null and void; Long Cut
I thought this deserved a thread of its' own.

I couldn't agree more. My 'puter screen got all watery when I read it. I wonder if the day will ever come when I don't shed tears when I think about that horrible day.

LC, this is beautifully written. I look forward to the day when you and the rest of our troops wipe the scum who were responsible from the face of the earth.

17 posted on 12/10/2002 8:42:07 PM PST by radu
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To: Long Cut; SpookBrat; SassyMom; BeachBelle; Rightly Biased; sistergoldenhair; GatorGirl; MistyCA; ...
Ping to a fantastic story written by Long Cut! You may want to have a Kleenex nearby.

Apologies if you've already been pinged to it.
18 posted on 12/10/2002 8:45:02 PM PST by Jen
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To: radu
We'll do it, Radu. Count on it. I only want to be able to see it all the way through, that is, in my lifetime.
19 posted on 12/10/2002 8:46:32 PM PST by Long Cut
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To: HiJinx; Kathy in Alaska; radu; MoJo2001; Ragtime Cowgirl; LindaSOG; SK1 Thurman; SevenofNine; ...
"Tonk, Meek, and John, this thread is well worth a major ping!"

PING!
20 posted on 12/10/2002 8:48:07 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
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