Remembering 9/11/01

As the tenth anniversary of the radical Islamofacsist terrorist attacks on the Untied States is here, it is important to remember where we were, what we were thinking and how this one event has changed our nation for ever.
My memory of 09/11/01 is that it was supposed to be a very exciting day in the RVFTLC abode.
Our son, at that point a junior in college, was to embark to France and participate in a semester study abroad program.
It was an early start for Mrs. RVFTLC and our son. They were up around 4am, out of the house by about 4:30am or 5am. Needless to say I had to go to work that day, I was not going with them for the big sendoff. But I did say goodbye.
I got up a little before 6am, let Scout the Wonder Dog out in the back yard and began the morning routine. I was shaving and listening to Hugh Hewitt. He was on in the AM back then. He was talking about some plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York City. At that point, it was about the one plane but then the second plane had hit. It was all surreal from that point on.
Since no one of us had a cell phone at that time (yeah, all resistant to modern technology!) I could not reach the missus and find out what was going on.
I continued to get ready for work and after showering, heard that the plane had hit the Pentagon in Washington, D. C.
If I was not certain up to that point, I sure as heck was that the United States was under attack.
I was getting very worried. I did not know if our son was on the plane yet. Whether or not it had taken off.
Then on the way to work I heard that all flights in the air were going to be diverted and United States airspace was being closed.
Now worry was beginning to become controlled panic.
I got to work and called home. No answer.
We were all watching the television that we brought from out lunchroom to the main office floor. Everything was happening so fast. There were unconfirmed reports of more attacks. And of course, there was me wondering if our son was somewhere over the air. If he was going to have to land somewhere out of the United States. Even the thought, however fleeting, that maybe something was going on his plane.
Then in the late morning, Mrs. RVFTLC called. Our son never got on the plane. Los Angeles International airport was evacuated. And there was a huge line of cars that were trying to get out. And all were being searched.
That fateful day, I had an appointment to get a CAT scan at my local hospital.
As it turned out, we were told to close up the office after 12noon and we all went home.
When I got home, I gave the biggest hug to everyone that I could.
It was that kind of day.
Mrs. RVFTLC took me to the appointment. On the way, I broke down. I just started crying. I could not believe what had happened. I just could not really think that a few men with nothing more than box cutters and knives could have taken over four jets and three of the four caused such destruction.
I took care of my test and we went home.
It was all surreal.
Even with all the television station on cable, not one did not have something about the attacks. There was no escaping what had happened. There was no levity. And maybe there was something on one of movie channels, but we were cheap and did not have any.
All we could do is sit and watch. And watch. And watch.
And we were sad for our son. He was the last of his group and it just seemed like he would never get to France.
The good news, what little there was, is that about a week and a half later, he went off to France.
But it was a new world. Mrs. RVFTLC was not all pleased he was taking the trip of a lifetime. But I assured her, I believe correctly, that France has had terrorist attacks before. If anything, he would be safer there than here. And he was.
That day was an amazing day. It brought to light the evil of radical Islam. The evil that is al-Qaeda. It showed that a primitive way of terror could reap more destruction than the most brilliant plans of military leaders all over the world.
It was the day that changed all of us, for better or worse, forever. It is a day I will never forget. And we should never ever forget that we are in a long war against radical Islamicfacsists. Not Islam. It is to us what the Cold War was to our parents and their generation.
God bless the United States of America.