Two thoughts from Sept. 11, 2001.

Amongst the incredible destruction at the Pentagon caused by the flying fuel air bomb that had been a United States commercial airliner was the children’s nursery, with children from newborn to toddlers. When the plane struck, the workers in the nursery knew they had to get the children out, but there were nowhere near enough adults to handle the evacuation. Within a few minutes a young Marine, uniform torn and bloody, ran in to the nursery and asked the manager what she needed. She yelled that they had to get the kids out of the building, that they needed help to do that and soon. The fire was raging and there was little at the time to stop it. The young Marine ran from the room and the nursery manager, thought “Well, we are on our own,” then a few minutes later a group of U.S. Marines ran in and with their help were able to gather up every child including walkers and bassinets. The children were moved though fire and brimstone to a park across from the Pentagon. The children were placed at the center of a circle of Marines who faced outward and stood at parade rest until the last child was collected by hysterical parents. Anyone who wanted to get to those children would have had to go through those Marines. God help them.

The first pilots sent aloft on Sept. 11th were Air National Guard who had just returned from a training mission and were flying unarmed planes. They were told they may have to ram an airliner to keep it from plunging into the Capital or a major city. They said “yes sir” and took off.

A military member or veteran is someone who at some point in his or her life has written a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

God bless the republic.

Craig Sarver

Bonney Lake