By Jared Walker
As I picked up the Beacon last week on Sept. 10, I was sad to see that there was no article or opinion piece remembering the events that occurred only eight years ago on September 11, 2001.
This was life-changing event for everyone in country whether we realize it or not. It was only eight years ago I was living in Lincoln, California, which is about 40 miles north of Sacramento.
If you go up the highway a few miles past Lincoln and get off on what looks like a back country road to the middle of nowhere, you will find that it will take you to Beale Air Force Base.
This is why I was living in California. My father is a pilot in the Air Force and was flying U-2's at the time and they are based out of Beale AFB.
For those of you who do not know what a U-2 is, it is a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft that looks like a big glider. On the morning of 9/11 he had arrived at work and was briefed to fly.
I was waking up to get ready for my day of middle school. I went to shower and I had a radio in the bathroom; as I was getting ready I was surprised to hear that there was no music playing and then hear the DJs say that there had been some sort of terrible plane accident in New York City. When I got out I went and woke up my mom and told her what I heard, she turned on the television and the image we saw was the north tower of the World Trade Center with billowing smoke coming out of a huge hole in it.
We continued watching and then we seen another plane come in and smash into the south tower; as the hour progressed we watched in horror as both towers came down to the ground.
Newsmen were at a loss for words; on top of all that there was news of a plane that crashed into the Pentagon, and one that crashed into a remote field in Pennsylvania.
In total 2,993 people including the hijackers died that day. The overwhelming majority being civilians. They were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. The world mourned with them all.
Back at my home later that night, my family received a call from my dad telling us he could not come home because the base was in lock down.
When he was allowed to come home later that week, he told my family that he would have to leave soon for a little while and could not tell us where he was going.
He left shortly after that and I did not see my father until the new year.
My story is by no means unique; there are several children and spouses of service men and women here on campus that probably have a similar story.
Thousands of families suffered great losses as a result of 9/11 and thousands more have sacrificed greatly as a result of that day.
When you read this article, please remember the families who lost loved ones, the business woman who was just going into the office, the fireman who rushed into blaze as others rushed out, the first responders who did everything they could to save as many as possible and the brave men and woman on the illfated flights.
And last of all, please remember the brave men and woman in uniform who risk their lives every day, especially those in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Please pray for all of these individuals and also pray that we should never have to witness such a tragedy again.
Jared Walker is a senior political science major
