TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Shortly after the tragic events that unfolded on September 11, 2001, singer/songwriter Alan Jackson composed a powerful song that put into words what so many of us were feeling on that September day. For me, the lyrics to "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" will forever remind me of the myriad of emotions experienced in the hours immediately following the worst attack ever experienced on U.S. soil. This Sunday, as we pause to pay tribute to all of those who were lost and the tens of thousands that rose in service on this National Day of Service and Remembrance, I urge you, as painful as it may be, to do whatever is necessary to ensure that you and your loved ones never forget that September day.

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 on the minute that you were made aware of the September 11th 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. 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 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?

This Sunday, when 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 ask you to never forget those emotions. And 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."