WE WERE GETTING READY TO RETIRE FROM THE MARINES AND MOVE TO ALASKA. I HAD NEVER SEEN THE SUNSET PARADE WITH THE SILENT MARINE DRILL TEAM IN WASHINGTON D.C. SO, I WAS EXCITED WHEN A FRIEND OF MINE LIVING ON NAS PAX RIVER, MARYLAND ASKED ME TO COME VISIT. THIS IS A NAVY BASE ABOUT 1 HOUR FROM WDC.
I HAD GONE ON THIS VACATION ALONE NO HUSBAND, AND NO CHILDREN WITH ME. I HAD DECIDED ON TUESDAY SEPT. 11TH I WOULD LEAVE THE HOUSE ABOUT 7:30 AM TO HEAD TO THE SMITHSONIAN FOR THE DAY.
MY FRIENDS WERE AT WORK, AND I WAS ALONE IN THE HOUSE THAT MORNING. MY FRIENDS SMOKED IN THE HOUSE SO, WHEN I WOKE UP AT 6:00 AM I HAD A TERRIBLE SORE THROAT, AND DECIDED TO PUT OFF THE WDC TRIP UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.
I WAS HAVING A NIGHTMARE, AND WOKE UP, CHECKED MY WATCH, AND IT WAS 8:14 AM. ( LATER I FOUND OUT THAT AT 8:14 AM THEY HIGHJACKED THE FIRST PLANE). I DECIDED IT WAS TOO EARLY, AND WENT BACK TO SLEEP. I WOKE UP AGAIN AT 8:53 AM BY MY WATCH. THE T.V. WAS STILL ON FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE; HOWEVER, THE VOLUME WAS MUTED.
WHEN I WOKE UP I DID NOT HAVE MY GLASSES ON SO I COULD NOT SEE MUCH BUT, SMOKE, AND A BUILDING ON FIRE ON THE T.V. I THOUGHT IT WAS A MOVIE LIKE "EARTHQUAKE” OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT, THEN I SAW A MAN TALKING WITH A RUNNER UNDERNEATH THE PICTURE OF THIS TOWER ON FIRE, AND IT LOOKED STRANGE SO, I GRABBED MY GLASSES AND PUT THEM ON, AND THEN GRABBED THE REMOTE TO TURN UP THE SOUND. I HEARD HIM SAY SOMETHING LIKE WE ARE LIVE AND AN AIRPLANE JUST FLEW INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. I REMEMBER DROPPING THE REMOTE, AND STANDING IN SHOCK STARING AT THE T.V. FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT I WAS SEEING AND HEARING BY PETER JENNINGS, AND THEN THE 2ND PLANE HIT THE WTC, AND I FREAKED OUT STARTED SCREAMING, AND I GRABBED MY SUITCASE STILL OPEN AND RAN OUTSIDE AND THREW IT IN MY TRUCK. I CAME BACK INSIDE GRABBED SOME MORE OF MY STUFF WITH MY SHOES AND JACKET IN HAND THEN JUMPED IN MY TRUCK AND DROVE LIKE A ZOMBIE TO THE FRONT GATE.
I WAS ASKED AT THE FRONT GATE TO SHOW MY MILITARY I.D., AND ASKED QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT WAS I DOING THERE, WHERE WERE WE STATIONED, AND WHERE WAS I HEADED. I REMEMBER MUMBLING SOMTHING AND BEING ALLOWED TO LEAVE. THEN I DROVE LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL ON THE FREEWAY I REMEMBER SEEING 2 PLANES BOTH FLYING LOW ONE VERY SHORTLY AFTER I LEFT THE BASE, AND ANOTHER LATER ON.
LISTENING TO A LOCAL RADIO STATION THE DJ SAID A HIGH JACKED PLANE COULD BE HEADED TOWARDS WDC. ALL I REMEMBER IS WANTING TOO GET HOME TO MY HUSBAND AND KIDS AND KNOWING I WAS 7 HOURS AWAY.
THE OTHER LOW FLYING PLANE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION, HOWEVER, TO THIS DAY I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT IS THE PLANE THAT HIT THE PENTAGON OR NOT.
THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER IS BEING ON I-5 IN STAND STILL TRAFFIC. I COULD HEAR THE SAME RADIO STATION COMING FROM VEHICLES ALL AROUND ME TALKING ABOUT PLANES CRASHING, AND THINKING THIS IS IT...THIS IS THE END OF OUR WORLD AS I KNOW IT, AND NEVER SEEING MY HUSBAND OR CHILDREN AGAIN.
PEOPLE GOT OUT OF THEIR CARS, AND STOOD ON THE FREEWAY LIKE ZOMBIES. SOME WERE CRYING, SOME WERE SCREAMING, SOME HAD DROPPED TO THEIR KNEES PRAYING. IT WAS UNREAL, LIKE A MOVIE I WAS WATCHING, OR THAT NIGHTMARE ALL OVER AGAIN. IT SEEMED LIKE WE STOOD THERE FOR HOURS BUT, IT WAS JUST MINUTES. THE TRAFFIC STARTED MOVIING AND WE ALL GOT BACK IN OUR CARS, AND STARTED DRIVING VERY SLOW STILL HEARING RADIOS FROM EVERY CAR I PASSED TALKING ABOUT PLANES HITTING THE WTC.
I AM STILL HEADED TOWARDS WDC, AND ACROSS MY RADIO THE D.J. SAYS, “OH MY GOD YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS. A PLANE JUST CRASHED INTO THE PENTAGON, AND THAT IS ALL WE KNOW RIGHT NOW. IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA PLEASE GET TO A SAFE LOCATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”. I WAS THINKING COULD THIS REALLY BE HAPPENING? AS I WAS DRIVING I COULD HEAR PEOPLE SCREAMING, CRYING, BANGING THEIR STIRRING WHEEL (LIKE ME) WE WERE ALL TRYING TO MAKE SOME KIND OF SENSE OF WHAT IN THE HELL WAS GOING ON, AND WHEN WOULD IT END.
AS I GOT CLOSER TO WDC I STARTED HEARING SIRENS EVERYWHERE. THEN I SAW THE SMOKE, AND KNEW THAT HAD TO BE THE PENTAGON. IT HIT ME OMG A PLANE JUST CRASHED INTO THE PENTAGON WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORKING IN IT.
I SAW AN EXIT, AND TOOK IT BUT, I HAD NO IDEA WERE I WAS GOING OR WHY. I JUST KNEW I WAS GOING SOMEWHERE. I SAW A WALMART, AND I PARKED AND WENT INTO THE STORE. EVERY T.V. AND MONITER THEY HAD WAS ON WITH LIVE COVERAGE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. PEOPLE WERE JUST STANDING WATCHING THEM, AND IT WAS SO QUIET IN THERE YOU COULD HEAR A PIN DROP. I WAS IN SUCH SHOCK I WENT INTO SURVIVAL MODE. I STARTED BUYING ROPE, BATTERIES, WATER, FREEZE DRIED FOOD, FLASHLIGHTS, BATTERY OPERATE RADIO, GASOLINE JUGS, AND I CAN NOT REMEMBER WHAT ELSE. I DID NOT NEED ANY OF THAT STUFF, HOWEVER, I HAD NEVER GONE THROUGH ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO, OR WHERE TO GO. I WOULD WALK DOWN AN AISLE, AND THEN START CRYING UNCONTROLABLY. I REMEMBER STRANGERS GIVING ME HUGS, AND SOME SAYING THEY WOULD PRAY FOR ME. ONE LADY ASKED IF I WAS SAVED.
AS I WAS STANDING IN LINE TO CHECK OUT A LADY STARTED SCREAMING SO LOUD SAYING, OMG A PLANE JUST CRASHED IN P.A. THEY THINK IT WAS HIGHJACKED ,AND HEADED HERE. AGAIN PEOPLE STARTED FREAKING OUT. SOME RAN OUT OF THE STORE, SOME FELL TO THE GROUND, SOME CRIED, SOME JUST STOOD AND WATCHED THE T.V. I WATCHED THE NEWS FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND DECIDED I COULD NOT SEE ANYMORE, AND I GOT BACK IN MY TRUCK, AND STARTED TO DRIVE BUT, I HAD NO IDEA TO WHERE.
I KNEW I WOULD NOT MAKE IT HOME. HECK, I COULD NOT EVEN MAKE IT OUT OF WDC. I DID NOT EVEN GET OUT OF THE CITY LIMITS UNTIL 2PM. I SAW MORE MILITARY VEHICLES, LIMOS, AND POLITICAL CARS PASSING ME. I THINK THEY HAD EVACUATED ALL THE POLITICAL BUILDINGS IN WDC. I STILL COULD HEAR SIRENS, AND SEE PEOPLE RUNNING, SCREAMING, CRYING, SITTING ON THE GROUND.
I HAD NEVER HAD A CELL PHONE BEFORE MY TRIP AND I WENT INTO A RADIO SHACK IN HAVELOCK, N.C. THE DAY I LEFT, AND PICKED UP A TRACFONE. I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE A GUY HAD BROUGHT IT BACK CHARGED WITH MINUTES ON IT SO I COULD USE IT RIGHT AWAY. THE MAIN CELL SERVICE WAS DOWN EVERYWHERE IN WDC, HOWEVER, I GOT LUCKY WITH MY LITTLE TRACFONE, AND MADE A CALL TO MY HUSBAND. HE WAS A MARINE, AND ON DUTY OF COURSE BUT, I COULD NOT GET THROUGH TO HIM UNTIL MUCH MUCH LATER. WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE THE NEXT CALL TO HOME I GOT “ALL CIRCUTS WERE BUSY”, AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE D.J. ON THE RADIO TOLD US NOT TO MAKE ANY CALLS BECAUSE THE LINES NEEDED TO STAY OPEN FOR THE EMERGENCY TEAMS.
SINCE WE WERE STILL HARDLY MOVING I GOT OFF ON ANOTHER EXIT PARKED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND SAT ON THE GRASS CRYING. I HAD KNOW IDEA IF MY FAMILY WAS OK OR NOT. I DID NOT KNOW IF THE TERRORISTS WERE HITTING ALL THE BASES, OR NOT. I DID NOT KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT HOME OR NOT.
I GOT BACK IN THE TRUCK AFTER A WHILE, AND JUST SAT THERE LISTENING TO THE RADIO, AND SIRENS. THERE WAS NO MUSIC PLAYING ON ANY OF THE STATIONS ONLY COVERAGE OF 9-11.
I WAS GETTING HUNGRY AND DROVE A LITTLE WAYS DOWN TILL I FOUND A MCDONALDS. I WAS GOING TO DRIVE THROUGH BUT, I DECIDED TO GO INSIDE AND EAT INSTEAD. WHILE I WAS IN THERE EATING THEY HAD A RADIO WITH COVERAGE OF THE EVENTS. ONE OF THE GUYS NEXT TO ME SAID HE HAD HEARD THAT THE FBI WAS AFRAID THERE WERE TERRORISTS DRIVING AROUND WDC IN U-HAUL TRUCKS WITH BOMBS, AND GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE IN THEM. HE SAID THAT EVERYONE WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE FBI OR 911 IF YOU SAW A SUSPICIOS U-HAUL TRUCK. SO, NOW I AM REALLY FREAKING OUT. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO, AND I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHERE I AM BUT, SOMEWHERE IN WDC. I SAT THERE FOR HOURS, AND THEN GOT BACK IN MY TRUCK, AND BACK ON THE BELTWAY.
THE TRAFFIC WAS STILL PRETTY SLOW BUT, MOVING A LITTLE BIT AT LEAST. I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO HEAD IN THE DIRECTION OF HOME, AND DRIVE UNTIL I WAS TO TIERD, AND THEN STOP AT A MOTEL FOR THE NIGHT.
I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO HEAD TOWARDS HOME, AND STARTED DRIVING TOWARDS NORTH CAROLINA. A FEW HOURS DOWN THE ROAD I STARTED GETTING REAL TIERD, AND HUNGRY. I WAS LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF SOMEWHERE TO EAT, AND SLEEP. I WAS IN THE FAST LANE TRYING TO GET OVER THE LANES WHEN I NOTICED A U-HAUL TRUCK BEHIND ME. THERE WAS A RED, WHITE AND GREEN FLAG OR HEADBAND HANGING FROM THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I DECIDED TO SLOW DOWN AND LET THEM CATCH UP WITH ME. THE DRIVER WAS DEFINITLY MIDDLE EASTERN. I STARTED GETTING THOSE AWFUL CHILLS THROUGH MY BODY, BUT THEN DECIDED TO CROSS ALL THE WAY OVER, AND CATCH UP TO THEM SO, I COULD SEE THE PASSENGER, AND MAYBE THE FLAG BETTER. I SAW THE PASSENGER AND HE WAS MIDDLE EASTERN TO, AND HE SAW ME LOOKING AT HIM. AGAIN I GOT THOSE AWFUL CHILLS. I COULD NOT SEE TOO MUCH MORE OF THE FLAG OR HEADBAND JUST THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SYMBOL IN IT THAT I REALLY DID NOT RECOGNIZE AT THE TIME. I DID SEE SOME WORDS ON THE U-HAUL THAT MIGHT HELP SOMEONE FIND THEM.
I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT AND PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911. I TOLD THEM WHAT I SAW, AND HOW IT MADE ME FEEL. SHE ASKED ME A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS, AND SAID THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT, AND THANKED ME.
I DROVE UNTIL I FOUND A RESTURAUNT. AS GOOD AS I FELT FOR CALLING 911 I WAS SCARED TO DEATH FOR SO MANY REASONS. I WAS HAPPY I FOUND WHAT LOOKED LIKE A MOM AND POP RESTURANT, AND THOUGHT I WOULD GET AWAY FROM T.V., RADIO AND 9-11 FOR A WHILE. BOY WAS I WRONG. THEIR WAS A BIG TV IN THE RESTURAUNT WITH THE LIVE COVERAGE.THEY WERE REPLAYING EVERYTHING, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW EVERYTHING THAT HAD HAPPENED. I HAD HEARD IT ALL BUT, NOT SEEN IT ALL AS I WAS DRIVING SO MUCH OF THE TIME.
THERE WERE PEOPLE LAYING ON THE FLOOR SCREAMING AND CRYING, AND THE WAITRESS CAME TO ME, AND SAID, “HELP YOUR
SELF TO DRINKS, AND MUNCHIES WE HAVE PUT OUT. WE ARE NOT COOKING ANYTHING AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE OWNERS DAUGHTER WAS IN THE WTC WHEN IT GOT HIT, AND THEIR SON WORKS IN THE PENTAGON. THEY HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM EITHER OF THEIR CHILDREN”. I GOT SOME COFFEE, AND A FEW MUNCHIES, AND WENT AND SAT DOWN STARING AT THE T.V., AND THEN THE OWNERS ON THE FLOOR THINKING TO MYSELF “THIS HAS HIT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE WORLD SOME HOW”.
A COUPLE CAME IN AND ASKED IF THEY COULD SIT WITH ME AS ALL THE TABLES WERE FULL WITH PEOPLE. I LOVE PEOPLE AND SAID, “SURE HAVE A SEAT, AND I WAS TOLD HELP YOURSELF TO BEVERAGES, AND MUNCHIES ON THE COUNTER AS THEY ARE NOT COOKING RIGHT NOW. SCOTT, CINDY AND I SAT TOGETHER FOR A FEW HOURS, AND I TOLD THEM WHAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT THE OWNERS, AND THEN TOLD THEM ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE. AFTER I SHARED MY STORY THEY TOLD ME THEIRS. THE MAN’S BROTHER ALSO WORKED AT THE WTC, AND HE HAD NO IDEA IF HE WAS ALIVE OR NOT. THEY WERE TRAVELING BACK FROM NORTH CAROLINA WHEN THEY HEARD THE NEWS. THEY BOTH WERE IN SHOCK, AND DECIDED TO FIND A PLACE TO SLEEP FOR THE NIGHT. THEY FOUND THE RESTURAUNT JUST LIKE ME. BEFORE I LEFT THE RESTURAUNT SCOTT HAD GOTTEN A CALL FROM HIS BROTHER HE HAD MADE IT OUT ALIVE. HE WAS HURT BUT, NEVER EVEN WENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
IT DID NOT SOUND GOOD FOR THE OWNERS DAUGHTER THOUGH, AND THE WAITRESS TOLD US SHE WORKED AS A WAITRESS PART TIME AT A RESTURAUNT THAT WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. I THINK THERE WAS LIKE 107 FLOORS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND WE WERE WATCHING THE TOP OF THE WTC BURN AND THEN COLLAPSE.
IT WAS GETTING VERY LATE, AND I WAS TIERD AND WANTED TO CALL HOME. I WAS THINKING HOPEFULLY AFTER TALKING TO MY HUSBAND AND KIDS I COULD MAYBE GET SOME SLEEP.
I DID NOT GET A HOLD OF MY HUSBAND OR KIDS THAT NIGHT AS ALL CIRCUTS WERE BUSY. I KNEW IT WOULD BE A RESTLESS NIGHT SO, I TURNED ON THE T.V. AND WATCHED IT ALL OVER AGAIN. IT REMINDED ME OF TURNING ON CNN THE DAY THE WAR STARTED AND THEN WATCHING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE THAT MY EYES WOULD STAY OPEN WHEN MY HUSBAND AND SON WERE AT SEA ON DIFFERENT SHIPS. ANYWAY, I REMEMBER SEEING PEOPLE JUMPING OUT OF THE WINDOWS ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, AND ALL I COULD DO WAS JUST CRY. ANYTIME I CLOSED MY EYES I SAW THOSE PEOPLE JUMPING, AND I SAW THE PLANES CRASHING INTO BUILDINGS.
I FINALLY TALKED TO MY HUSBAND THE NEXT DAY, MY MOTHER AND OUR CHILDREN. I WAS MUCH HAPPIER KNOWING THAT MY FAMILY WAS SAFE AND SOUND.
I STAYED AT THE HOTEL FOR A FEW DAYS DOING NOTHING BUT WATCHING T.V., EATTING, AND SLEEPING.
I FINALLY GOT ON THE ROAD, AND DROVE STRAIGHT THROUGH TO MCAS CHERRY POINT, N.C. WHEN I GOT TO THE FRONT GATE THEY WERE NOT EVEN GOING TO LET ME COME IN WITH MY MILITARY I.D. SECURITY WAS SO STRICT THEY WERE CHECKING YOUR I.D., YOUR VEHICLE, AND SOMETIMES YOUR BODY. I FINALLY ANSWERED ALL THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, AND THEY LET ME IN. WHEN I DROVE THROUGH ALL THE WEIRD BARRIERS THEY HAD PUT UP AT THE FRONT GATE I SAW A CAR THAT HAD BEEN RIPPED APART.
I FINALLY MADE IT HOME, AND HUGGED AND KISSED MY HUSBAND, MOTHER, AND CHILDREN, AND THANKED THE GODS THAT EVERYONE WAS SAFE. I TOLD EVERYONE HOW MUCH I MISSED THEM, AND THEN I WENT TO MY BEDROOM AND LIT A CANDLE, AND PRAYED, AND CRIED FOR ALL THE LIVES THAT WERE LOST NINE YEARS AGO STARTING AT 8:46AM SEPT 11TH, 2001. I WILL NEVER FORGET WHERE I WAS, WHAT I SAW, AND WHAT I EXPERIENCED ON 9-11-2001 FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE. I NEVER WRITTEN OUT MY WHOLE EXPERIENCE UNTIL TODAY. SO MANY OF THE THINGS I HEARD AND SAW THAT DAY STILL HAUNT ME. MAYBE THIS WILL HELP WITH SOME OF THE HEALING PROCESS I STILL SEEM TO BE GOING THROUGH.
IN MEMORY OF ALL OF OUR HEROS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES THAT DAY. YOU MAY BE GONE BUT, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. R.I.P. E-3 CHRIS BURFORD, AND ALL THE OTHER BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES TRAGICALLY ON 9-11-2001
WRITTEN BY DEBRA ANNE JACKSON 9-11-2010
SEPT 11TH, 2011
TEN YEARS LATER
I WROTE THE NOT ABOVE LAST YEAR ON SEPT 11TH, 2010. AFTER POSTING A FEW VIDEOS ON FB TO HONOR THE HEROES OF 9-11 ONE OF MY FRIENDS ASKED ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME ON 9-11-2001 IN WASHINGTON D.C. I REMEMBERED I HAD WRITTEN THIS LAST YEAR TO SEE IF IT WOULD HELP ME HEAL SOME OF THE AWFUL FEELINGS I HAVE CARRIED SINCE THEN. IN THE BACK GROUND RIGHT NOW I AM WATCHING 9/11: AS IT HAPPENED ON MY T.V. I PUT MY T.V. ON PAUSE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE THIS, AND REALIZED WHEN I LOOKED UP THERE WAS THE SURREAL PICTURE OF THE TWIN TOWERS ON FIRE, AND COLLAPSING TO THE GROUND. EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT IN NEW YORK AT THE TIME I REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE THING THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY TO ME, AND THE ONES AROUND ME. I WATCHED 9-11 COVERAGE FOR DAYS STRAIGHT ACCEPT TO TAKE A BREAK TO SLEEP, AND I DIDN'T GO TO BED..I JUST PASSED OUT FROM EXHAUSTION. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE ANY KIND OF SENSE OUT OF THIS HORRIFIC DAY. I REALLY DID THINK IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNEW IT, AND ALL I COULD THINK OF THEN WAS I WILL LEAVE THIS WORLD WITH OUT SPEAKING TO OR, BEING WITH MY FAMILY.
I REALLY CAN NOT GRASP THAT IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO TODAY. IT STILL SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. I HAVE SPENT ALL DAY WATCHING, AND RELIVING THE HORRORS, AND KINDNESS OF SEPTEMBER 11,2001. WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO DRIVE HOME I REMEMBER SEEING SO MANY AMERICAN FLAGS, ADN "GOD BLESS AMERICA" BUMMER STICKERS. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BRING ALL AMERICANS, AND THE WORLD MUCH CLOSER SO WE COULD ALL HELP EACH OTHER GRIEVE, AND REBUILD. WE DID BECOME CLOSER FOR A WHILE, AND EVEN THOUGH MOST OF US SAY "WE WILL NEVER FORGET" JUST REMEMBERING ONCE A YEAR ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9-11 IS NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED TO HELP EACH OTHER, WE NEED TO LOVE EACH OTHER, AND WE NEED TO STOP FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER. LIFE IS SO FRAGLIE, AND THERE ARE SO MANY 9-11 CHILDREN WHO ARE GROWING UP WITH A HERO IN THEIR FAMILY, HOWEVER, THEIR HERO IS AN ANGEL NOW, AND NOT A PART OF THEIR LIVES ON EARTH. EVEN WHEN YOU GET MAD AT YOUR FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER PLEASE REMEMBER THAT LIFE IS VERY SHORT, AND DECIDE IF IT IS WORTH LOSING TIME TO BE ANGRY INSTEAD OF GRATEFUL...................
TO ALL THE HEROES OF SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001, I THANK YOU AND I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU FOR BEING SELFLESS, BRAVE, AND LOVING.
RIP PFC CHRIS BURFORD WHO WAS A FRIEND AND LOST HIS LIFE THAT DAY IN THE PENTAGON..YOU ARE MISSED BUT, NEVER FORGOTTEN...SEMPER FIDELIS
WRITTEN BY - DEBEA ANNE JACKSON 9-11-2011
A PROUD MARINES WIFE, AND MILITARY MOTHER
