9/11/2001: What were you doing?

I've told this story before and will likely share it to my grandkids and great grandkids. 

9/11/01: Where were you?- I was oblivious to anything happening that day. "The Crucible" is a last and final test of every Marine recruit. That's where I was. Marine Corps Recruit Depot-Parris Island. We were on the outskirts of somewhere, tired, cut off from anything in the world. I remember the next early morning after 9/11 we were woken up early like recruits before us. Dog tired, dragging ass. 

We completed our morning obstacles and all the recruits were brought into one place to eat lunch. There was a silence among everyone. We were used to that. We were hardened at this point. Well disciplined & tired.

The Battalion Commanding Officer and Sergeant Major made a visit. I honestly thought this was part of this whole experience. The pep talk before the final push. The Sergeant Major simply held up the front page newspaper. You could hear a pin drop. You could tell they were distraught, tired, pissed off and confused like the rest of America. Not only were we told about the World Trade Center but also the Pentagon and Flight 93 events. I think everyone sitting near that old air strip thought we were going to be on a plane heading somewhere as soon as we graduated. 

3076 and the rest of the graduating class carried on and finished the Crucible. America carried on but we will never forget. Thoughts always go out to the thousands, if not millions, of families affected by 9/11 and the aftermath.