Friday, March 29, 2024

Recalling America’s day of horror and heartbreak

Posted

I’VE BEEN THINKING

 

Carol Goodman Heizer is an author who moved to Hood County from Louisville, Kentucky in 2019. She has had short stories and articles published in six editions of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. Her column for the Hood County News will appear every two weeks. She was a public school teacher for 17 years, earlier in her professional career.

 

 

America will solemnly remember Sept. 11, 2001, as one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. It is a tragic reminder of President Roosevelt’s speech referring to the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His words, “A date which will live in infamy,” have resonated through the years.

Every person in America who can remember that day in September 2001 can recall exactly where they were and what they were doing when the frightening announcements began sweeping over the airwaves. The fear intensified as citizens watched in horror as cell phone recordings began making their way into American homes and minds.

As unbelieving Americans stood watching the horrific news unfold, they attempted to grasp the enormity of what was initially considered a catastrophic accident. More trauma hit the American psyche as the south tower collapsed. That shocking news was followed by the report of the Pentagon’s explosion just outside Washington, D.C. within the hour, killing more Americans.

As if there were no end to the nightmare, more people perished in a field in Pennsylvania. A total of 2,996 people from 78 different countries died in the four attacks.

Emotions ran the gamut from shocked silence to floods of tears to soul-wrenching screams. As moments turned into hours, reality began to register that transported us from foreign battlefields to our own beloved American soil. Our sense of safety as American citizens was suddenly shattered.

We instantly felt vulnerable, then defenseless, as we watched millions of tons of steel and concrete fall on innocent Americans. We fervently prayed for the helpless men and women trapped in those towering infernos. We watched in shock as we saw desperate individuals leap from windows high above the ground, choosing to die quickly rather than dying slowly of asphyxiation and burning flesh. Our hearts pounded with anxiety as we watched the terrified individuals attempting to outrun the flying debris, suffocating smoke, and choking dust that was falling from the crumbling towers.

Our hearts ached as we watched family members trying to voice their conviction that their loved one was strong and could possibly survive. But deep within our souls, we knew that few humans, if any, could escape such an earth-shaking tragedy. Thoughts of rescue slowly turned to thoughts of recovery. We agonized over family members posting pictures of loved ones on nearby fences and walls.

After a day or two, we felt we could no longer watch another video clip or phone recording of the terrifying events, yet we continually kept returning to our television sets. Why? Were we, in some subconscious manner, trying to convince ourselves of its reality?

Three thousand individuals had their lives instantly snuffed out that fateful day. But more than that, thousands more would live the remainder of their lives in the deepest possible grief – a grief that seemed so surreal, yet engulfing. We struggled with the reality that allowed this massacre of humanity.

To the thousands of firefighters, police officers, first responders, and volunteers from across the country who assisted in various efforts, and the rescue dogs who bloodied their paws in an attempt to find survivors or victims, we say “Thank you” from the bottom of our hearts. I am certain we cannot begin to imagine the lasting effects that day has had upon your emotional and physical well-being.

To the loved ones left behind who faced the horror of such a ruthless atrocity, may we send our prayers your way to, perhaps, somehow let you know how our hearts ache for you even now – 20 years later. We will certainly not hurt you further by saying we know how you feel, for we can never know that anguish. But we do want you to know that we care and that we will never forget.

And, especially to the babies (now young adults) born shortly after 9/11 who were forced to grow up without a father or another loving family member in their lives, may we promise you that we will do all in our power never to permit another such barbaric massacre as this again!

cgheizer@gmail.com