September 11th

Anyone born prior to 1995 remembers the events of September 11, 2001. It was a gorgeous morning; a bright blue sky and a chill in the air. All was perfect. So we thought. The morning turned into something out of a Tom Clancy novel with three attacks on our soil and a fourth thwarted by the heroes of Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. I will never forget that day; where I was, and the uncertainty that plagued the morning. I traveled to New York City frequently in 2001. The following week I was there and couldn't believe what I saw. From the train I saw the smoldering ruins of two great buildings. Once I arrived, there were thousands of pictures of those missing. They were all over the city, especially the train and subway stations. Families who hoped their loved ones were missing and not yet willing to admit they had perished. It was a terrible time but also a patriotic time. Briefly, this country and our allies were united in a way we may never see again.

As September 11th has become more poignant for us, it surprises me how many other events have occurred on this date. We live about five miles from the Brandywine Battlefield, a key battle in the Revolutionary War that almost took the life of George Washington and allowed the British to take Philadelphia. This battle occurred on September 11, 1777.

Other significant events on September 11th include Henry Hudson discovering Manhattan in 1609 (very ironic), the first cartoon appeared in a newspaper in 1875, the Hoover Dam is dedicated in 1936, Holland is liberated by the Allies in 1944, Florence Chadwick becomes the first woman to swim the English Channel (16 hours and 19 minutes) in 1951, and Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's record of 4,191 hits in 1985. Our Manager of Office Services, Sue Frantz, was at that game. Who would believe Pete would fall so far?

It is indeed a day to remember. Let us never forget the ultimate sacrifice of all the innocent people who showed up for work on this date in 2001. Let us always be thankful for the first responders and their commitment to saving lives and serving as role models for all of us.