Today marked a historical time for Americans and people world wide! Osama Bin Laden was killed! Hip hip hooray! As I sit and watch the continuous news feed on this historical event, I hear the news casters constantly remind us that we will forever remember what we were doing when we heard the news...
Almost 10 years ago tragedy hit us. I was a sophomore in high school and like most teenagers decided it was just a bad day to go to school and wanted to sleep in. I was woken up at 7 a.m. by my mom telling me we'd been attacked. Living on the west coast at the time we were 3 hours behind NYC. It was an awful, awful day. Very emotional and I remember crying for months reading stories of people who'd lost their loved ones on that horrific day. Three years later I decided to join the United States Army. I wanted to prove to everyone I knew, I was strong enough and also to serve my country. Today Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, what was I doing 10 years later? Trying to cross the Friendship bridge at the Lao Thai border. It will be something I won't forget, but how I would have liked to be closer to more Americans who felt the feelings I'm feeling. I have many feelings about this day, so many it's hard to explain. Lots of pride, and truimph, but also grief. Serving 5 years in the Army, doing the job I was doing, I saw first hand how these wars were effecting people, mostly the people left behind. So while I write this I toast the men and women who laid down their lives to make this day happen. 10 years in the making, we caught and killed the man who managed to continue to hurt us long after his attack.
So, as we all celebrate this accomplishment don't forget just how much it took to acheive this. Sons, daughters, wives, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers are without loved ones tonight.
R.I.P.
Adam David Quinn and James P. Hunter
and the 5,886 men and women who've made the ultimate sacrifice.
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