Remembering 9/11

I always dread some anniversaries like 9/11 and 4/19-- 4/20(Columbine,Waco,OK City bombing). I understand why they are to be memorialized. We should never forget the victims. That being said I cringe knowing that copycats could and would use these dates to go down in their own rewriting of history.

My first assignment this morning was going to a local high school to an JROTC 9/11 memorial. I was more emotional than I thought I was going to be. I will admit that cheeseball song "I am proud to be an American" always gets me. Always. I had to put my sunglasses down on my nose even though it was 50 degrees and very overcast, to hide any tears.

On my way back to the paper I met the dude that it in the photo with the flag. He goes by Flag Guy,seeing he has proudly waved the giant flag on this corner every anniversary of 9/11. He even had a certificate from an army officer that appreciated his efforts so much he bought him a flag flown over Iraq. The certificate was made out to flag guy. He told me he was a cook that worked tow jobs to keep his life going and took a few hours off to stay out there for the day.

Last night I watched a few of those 9/11 documentaries on Discovery. Pretty brutal. At least I knew what was coming. I couldn't fathom being there but I kinda wish I was. Not in the building, just in eyesight.