COMMENTARY: Courage witnessed in 9/11 aftermath is inspirational

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Preston Webb
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Every generation has a defining moment -- a moment that changes the very rules by which we live. For my generation, that moment was Sept. 11, 2001, -- the day the two towers fell.

Four aircraft were hijacked by terrorists; one crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., another into the Pentagon and two more into the towers of the World Trade Center.

The nation looked on in horror as news of the attacks reached every corner of the world -- a day forever etched into the minds of millions.

Most people can tell you where they were, what they thought or even what they had for breakfast the day they heard the news.

I was in elementary school, too young to understand what it all meant, and I'm sad to say my first thought was, "I have a test to take. Who cares?"

I didn't understand why all the students in my school were huddled around small televisions watching the news during recess. I didn't understand what it meant that 3,000 people died on American soil that day.

Responders who survived were left scarred; families were torn apart, and the nation demanded justice.

Former President George W. Bush declared war against those responsible -- a war on terrorism. For more than a decade, the U.S. military sped into overdrive to hold the attackers accountable for their actions.

Families said farewell to loved ones who chose to step forward and fight to protect their nation. Great men and women fought, sacrificed and were forever changed.

My friends from school signed up as soon as they could to do their part. Members of my own family deployed time and time again.

Each time I'd say goodbye to someone close to me, my heart was brimming with emotion. I was sad to see them leave, fearful they might not come back but most of all I was proud to know them -- to know they were protecting me in a time of war.

A nation offered up its best and brightest to fight, ensuring nothing like the Sept. 11 attacks would ever happen again.

"Today, our nation saw evil; the very worst of human nature. And then we responded with the very best of America," Bush said, while addressing the nation shortly after the attacks.

The courage displayed by service members fighting to protect the U.S. from terrorism inspired me to become an American Airman. Their accomplishments create a legacy of greatness I try to live up to every day.

One of the darkest times in our nation's history -- a moment I once met with indifference -- now instills me with a sense of pride and motivates me, as an Airman, to do better every day.

Now, 12 years later, I can answer my own question, "Who cares?"

Who cares that we were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001? Who cares about the lives lost that day -- the lives lost fighting terrorism over the years? Who cares about the courage and honor displayed by the men and women who rose above a tragedy to protect their nation?

I care.