Remembrance for 9-11-01 and Thanks on 9-11-09

Along with millions of other Americans and people around the world, I am reflecting on the events that occurred 8 years ago.

I am remembering the attack, I am remembering the horrific events from that attack, the planes going into the towers, one going into the pentagon and the other that would be wrestled to the ground in the field in Pennsylvania.

As I reflect I think of all my connections to that event.

The first connection-

I had just come back the day before from a business trip in Manhattan and had been commuting back and forth for nearly a year to New York City and I could not believe the scenes unfolding on my TV screen.

The second connection-

My brother was a pilot at United Airlines and it was his co-workers that perished on the flight that went into the second tower. It was a flight he almost took.

The third connection-

I had a co-worker that was supposed to have been on the American Airlines flight from Boston that was hijacked and diverted into New York and slammed into the first tower, it took all day for us to verify he was alright. He would have been in First Class but had worked late into the night and was too tired to fly out early that morning and elected to catch a later flight. A decision that saved his life.

The fourth connection-

The company I was working with at that time was working on a public option with a company based in the tower in Manhattan. The executives in the group he was working with- all died that morning.

The fifth connection-

Over in the Pentagon a third plane struck killing and wounding hundreds in the early morning hours. A Chaplain was working in the Pentagon who was also a chaplain, he is Colonel David Park. He was quickly to the horrible scene trying to rescue and evacuate people. He then gave assistance at the triage/hospital area temporarily set up at the Pentagon. It is a day that he will never forget.

He would connect in my life in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the Incident Commander at the Family Assistance Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) would serve for 6 months as the chaplains to assist the spiritual and emotional needs of families who lost loved ones from the Hurricane. I came to know him as a great friend and servant of the people. He would become a part of the Victim Relief Family (as are many people reading this blog or on my Facebook or Twitter network) as a chaplain and trainer for VRM. He will be a presenter at the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Conference November 6-7 in Dallas, Texas. (www.victimrelief.org and www.victimchaplain.org)

The Sixth Connection-

Though Victim Relief Ministries (VRM) was born in 1999 it really began its role in Disaster Relief in the Ground Zero of the Twin Towers under Gene Grounds. The events of 9-11 is how I connected to VRM as I desperately looked for ways to serve my nation and help others. God led me to VRM where I served in many roles as a Volunteer for the next 8 years and today I serve full time as VRM Deputy Executive Director under Gene Grounds and carry other titles and duties as Director of Disaster Response and Director of Training.

So, 9-11 really is cause of reflection and remembrance and it connected many dots that led me to volunteer and serve my nation through VRM in missions and operations that include Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster, Hurricane Katrina, Rita, Ike and many floods, fires and tornadoes.

Our nation is unique, powerful, vulnerable, open, nervous, proud, creative and industrious. It is fraught with dangers, pitfalls and problems it has also proved to be a beacon of real hope to the world and I am proud that in over 200 years it has continued to overcome all obstacles and problems and challenges it has faced- and I give great thanks to God for this nation and for guiding us as one nation under God and respect those who don't see it that way, but I will stand up for God and my nation.

As I reflect, I want to end with this thought and this vision. Let us go back to the firefighters and law enforcement agencies who rushed TOWARD the burning twin towers and INTO the burning Pentagon to rescue people knowing full well the dangers confronting them. Let us go into the United Flight where the passengers stood up and FACED their hijackers. Who rushed FORWARD against the terrorist. Who FOUGHT against armed men and who nearly took full control of the cockpit- but in their struggle they prevented the hijackers from striking the White House, their battle took them down into the empty field now filled with their brave spirits.

They all fired the first shots back against our attackers.

That is the story of the birth of our country. I give thanks on 9-11-09 for the men and women who sacrificed their lives on 9-11-01. And I will give remembrance of nearly 3,000 Americans and citizens of 90 countries who were murdered that day.

I give thanks to all who serve in our military, national guards, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency management people and all who work to secure our safety and look out for our way of life. I give thanks for freedom of worship, for a Republic that is free and people can speak out and vote for changes and defend the values dear to them.

I give thanks for organizations and ministries like VRM and Salvation Army that have armies of volunteers that serve others first.

We will win if we remember the victories that have come from our darkest defeats. I thank you God for this nation and pray for all those serving around the world!