thanks for sharing phil.
Though I am now living and working in Canada, I too am also thankful to be
an American.
Vinny
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 4:51 PM
Subject: My 9 11 Contribution
>I wrote this, obviously, a year after 9 11 but I feel the same today. Yes,
> I have a lot of doubts as to what really happen that day. What I know for
> certain, on the other hand, is what I have written below.
>
> Phil.
>
> A year ago, I was listening to the morning news at the report of
> the first plane which crashed into tower number one. When the
> second plane crashed into the second tower, I knew then it was no
> accident and that we were under some sort of terrorist attack. I
> even told my wife that day that we could expect more planes now
> and in the future any place in the country. You can't, after all,
> read any of Tom Clancy's books or Steven Coonts without knowing
> that their are people out there that hate our way of life and will
> do anything they can to destroy what they hate. They will even
> kill themselves in the process. I can easily say I probably
> listened to at least 70 or 80 hours of TV and radio that week a
> year ago. I even awakened during the night and unable to sleep,
> got up and listened for hours to all the reports. A very good
> friend of mine flies for United. I believe it was the first plane
> that crashed into the first trade tower that was the flight out of
> Boston to Los Angeles. My friend flies that same Boston to L A
> route all the time. I finally got up the courage to call his home
> here in Denver to ask his wife if he was home or off flying that
> week. I was so relieved when she said, "He is home. Let me put
> him on the phone." He flew over 200 combat missions in jet
> fighters in Vietnam but my friend could hardly talk on the
> telephone that day he was so shaken. The first flight he was
> assigned to fly when the airlines were allowed to fly again was
> the return flight from L A into Boston. At any rate, today I
> listened to TV all day once again and all evening just about. I
> often think of my oldest son now living in New Jersey and how one
> time his company flew him to New York and he had to go to the top
> of one of the towers to teach company employees some new software.
> In fact, he had a meeting scheduled for yesterday in the city but
> the security was becoming so tight, everyone was canceling their
> meetings so he canceled his. I couldn't help think today, as I
> did a year ago, my son could have easily been in one of those
> towers. All day today something was gnawing at the back of my
> mind but I couldn't put my finger on it. Yes, I cried several
> times today listening to all the stories just like I did a year
> ago and I prayed, too, for the families who suffered such a great
> loss just as I did a year ago. As I listened to how minute by
> minute decisions were being made by our nationally elected leaders
> and by the police and fire fighters and hundreds of others, I
> suddenly said out loud, I sure am glad to be an American. That's
> what had been gnawing at me all day and when it finally came to
> me, I literally spoke it out loud before I realized it. I've
> never fought in a war or carried a weapon or ever done anything
> any more patriotic than fly an American flag outside my window. I
> can truthfully say that today, for perhaps the very first time in
> my life, I honestly felt proud to be an American. I wasn't just
> proud of all the people who helped save lives a year ago as I
> listened to the news coverage today and I wasn't just thankful
> that it happened to somebody else and not me or my family. I can
> honestly and truthfully say today, fellow Americans and the way
> they lived and died, made me proud I am one of them. People died
> in the air, on the ground, and in buildings and most died without
> even knowing why. We know why now. they didn't die because they
> were black or white or because they spoke English or Japanese or
> Spanish or French. They did not die because they were old or
> young; male or female. they didn't die because they were
> religious or atheists. They died because they were Americans. I
> believe I now have some understanding of what it really means to
> be an American and I wouldn't have it any other way.
>
> Phil.
>
>
> He's ready when you are.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>
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