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WASHINGTON -- Military members rendered honors as fire and rescue workers unfurled a huge American flag over the side of the Pentagon during rescue and recovery work following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. The attack came at approximately 9:40 a.m. as a hijacked commercial airliner, originating from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, was flown into the southern side of the building facing Virginia Highway 27. (U.S. Navy photo by Michael W. Pendergrass )

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Commentary: September 11, 2001 attacks -- pause to pay tribute to those who were lost

Published Sept. 6, 2012
By Brig. Gen. John C. Flournoy, Jr.
349th AMW Commander

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Like millions of people around the world, I'm sure that each one of you can recall exactly where you were and what you were doing the minute that you were made aware of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the heroic actions taken by passengers aboard Flight 93 that tragically ended in a field in Pennsylvania. Like you, I have images permanently etched in my mind of the events that unfolded on that day and the days immediately following this unwarranted attack. This week, as we pause to pay tribute to those who were lost that day and the thousands of men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice since that day through loss of life and limb, securing our safety, I challenge you to come up with a constant reminder of how you felt.

Inside each of you there is something that triggers the anger, the shock, the sorrow, the hurt, the fear, the helplessness, the compassion and the love for one another that we all felt that day. Throughout the history of this great Nation we have experienced tragedies and challenges that have threatened the very freedoms that our forefathers fought so hard to obtain. Each one sparked similar emotions that we all felt on September 11, 2001. Each one woke a sleeping giant and brought like-minded, freedom-loving people together to preserve and protect the very liberties that each of us are able to enjoy this very day.

Every day, whether on our own soil or in places thousands of miles away from home, dedicated men and women like yourselves are putting their lives on the line to ensure that those ideals that make America so great are forever preserved for those who follow in our footsteps. What is your trigger? What is it that sparks those emotions deep inside you that drives you to fight for our freedoms? Everyone has a story about that day that must be shared with others. Are you sharing your story with your children, your neighbors or your co-workers, so that they understand why it is that citizens of freedom-loving nations are willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to be free from senseless acts of violence and extremism?
This week, as you pause to reflect and pay tribute to those who were lost on September 11, 2001 and comfort the families who paid the ultimate sacrifice by having a loved one taken away while fighting for their fellow man, I beg you to never forget those emotions. Do me a favor. Don't wait for the next tragedy or anniversary event to remind you of how you felt that day or how many of you are feeling at this very moment. Never forget. For the sake of us all....Never Forget!

My final message is simply this....in the words of President John F. Kennedy, remember ""Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

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