I was in 7th grade.

I was sitting in my homeroom class, waiting to start another hum-drum day of school in regular old Kansas City.  It was just another day in regular old America.

Some kid came into our room...I forget who, don't remember the details...probably didn't know the kid.  He told us to turn on the news, some plane crashed into the World Trade Center.

It was pretty non-chalant at that point.  People were a tad bit worried, but to us, an accident happened.

We watched the TV for about 20 minutes.

The second tower was hit.

It was pretty clear at that time, this wasn't some sort of accident.  More information poured in.  A plane had hit The Pentagon...and more information came in about a downed plane somewhere in Pennsylvania.  

4 aircraft..

It didn't end there.  The Principal came on the speaker.  Told us that we were allowed to go home if we felt it was necessary.  I didn't go home.  It hadn't set in yet.  It was something on the TV, it was just something that couldn't have happened.  

It doesn't matter on ideology.  It doesnt matter political preference.  

It happened.

3,005 American lives were ended on September 11, 2001.

5,068 American Soldiers have been killed since the start of the War on Terror.

25 American civilians have been killed due to enemy action since the start of the War on Terror

332 British Soldiers have been killed since the start of the War on Terror

116 Canadians Soldiers have been killed since the start of the War on Terror

325 other Coalition forces

11,525 Iraqi Security Forces personnel have been killed trying to bring their country out of ruin

4,576 Afghani Security Forces personnel have been killed trying to bring their country out of ruin

300 civilians have been killed by Terrorist acts in Turkey, Spain and the UK since September 11th, 2001.

an estimated 95,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed during the war from ethnic and war violence

an estimated 49,600 Afghani civilans have been killed due to the War on Terror.

 3,269 people have died in Pakistan due to war violence

1 former American FBI agent is missing in Iran

400 people have died to Terrorist attacks in Indonesia

596 people have died to Terrorist attacks in North Africa

8,875 people have died to religious conflict in East Africa

293 Americans were killed from the 1993 CIA shootings, Battle of Mogadishu, Khobar Towers Bombings, USS Cole bombings, the first World Trade Center bombing, Karachi gun attacks and the 1998 United Stated embassy bombings.  

It doesn't matter what you were doing that day.  It doesn't matter if you adhere to a different faith than your fellow man.  It doesn't matter what you believe about what our goverment has done, is doing, or will do.

Somewhere in the world, on September 11th, 2001, Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts sat in a cave, waiting.  They sat around, waiting for news of their deeds.  3000 murders later, they praised God for the Hand that Stains their Blood.  

I will Never Forget

I will Never Forgive

I will Always Remember.

I thank all those for their service, all those that dedicate themselves to the ideal of freedom