AMVETS Posts 9/11 Tributes

Thank you to Posts 178 and 5293 for sharing their 9/11 Remembrance Services.
Post 5293 in Ironton, Ohio was featured on the front page of the Ironton Tribune.

Kudos to you!


Post 178 in Defuniak Springs, Fla. 9/11 service program


Defuniak Springs ROTC Color Guard

AMVETS National Commander Gary Fry's 9/11 Commemorative Speech

Ten years have passed since the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, millions will gather to remember and honor those whose lives were lost that fateful day. Ceremonies at the Pentagon, near the site of the World Trade Center in New York, in Pennsylvania, and at hundreds of other places around the world are being held at this very moment. Just as we were united in the hours and days following the September 11 attacks, we are again drawn together in solidarity to remember those who were lost. And today we also honor the men and women, in and out of uniform, who continue to fight against those who would harm us for no other reason than our great country, the United States of America, remains a beacon of freedom in an increasingly dark and chaotic world.

With their blows to the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, Al Qaeda sought to overturn the world’s most powerful symbols of military strength and economic prosperity. They impacted our sense of safety, making it hard to trust the man or woman standing next to us. Some of us are still suspicious of strangers and many of us are still looking over our shoulders. Rebuilding trust certainly takes time. But they did not accomplish their goals. They did not cripple the far reaching capabilities or the effectiveness of our military and our collective resilience as a nation. Look around you. Take note of your brothers and sisters. This is your American family. We stand together against those who would attack our freedoms and our way of life. But they can’t keep us down.

Not long after the attack, family members who lost loved ones during the terrorist strike at the Pentagon created a makeshift memorial outside the damaged building. There were memorials at the site of the World Trade Center and the field in Pennsylvania. We are resilient, persistent and determined; all of which I would dare to say are inherent American attributes. These people did not wait for an official call to action. They made it happen. Fast-forward ten years. Where are we now? We continue to grieve, but we also continue to fight the war on terrorism. They wanted to make us weak, but they only made us stronger.

United in strength and camaraderie, we grieve for the 3,000 innocent people who perished in those dastardly attacks against our nation. They came from all walks of life, all races, and all ages. And while most of those who perished were U.S. citizens, we must not forget that the victims at the World Trade Center included citizens of dozens of other nations. Terrorism threatens the entire global community, not just the United States.

Again, I propose that the terrorists failed in weakening our great nation. In fact, the attacks produced new American heroes, such as the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. The plane was hijacked the same way the passenger airliners flown into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were, however, the passengers were united under the resolve that their airliner would not be used as another guided missile – and it wasn’t.

Additionally, America has newfound heroes in the hundreds of New York City policemen, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders who gave their all when the World Trade Center towers collapsed around them as they fought to get everyone out.

A little more than a week after the attacks, President George W. Bush told us that "We are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done."

And justice has been done. Working closely with the armed forces of other nations, our military campaigns have eliminated al Qaeda’s safe haven in Afghanistan and the Taliban government that supported them. Osama Bin Laden has been brought to justice, and our military service members continue to deliver justice every single day as they hunt down remaining fugitives throughout Afghanistan, even as they help the liberated Afghan people embrace freedom and democracy.

We have met many milestones during these past ten years and during the war against terror. We have a way to go, but as we speak, the numbers of American troops are drawing down. Eventually this war will end. Life will never be what it was before the attacks, but what has not eliminated us only educated us and made us stronger.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are fighting the Global War on Terrorism, in an effort to create and maintain the conditions for peace. Every day they sacrifice to protect and defend our homeland, and our freedoms.

We will never forget September 11th, 2001 as one of America’s darkest days. But a renewed sense of national pride has arisen out of the gloom. A national resolve to make this world a safer place now shines brightly. Our unwavering strength and resolve is a wonder for the world to behold. We stand united. America will remember her heroes who emerged from the tragedies of those attacks, and we will fight the good fight against a global network of terrorism for as long as it takes to end its threat to our way of life.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran we will recap last week's VSO/MSO summit at VA central office in Washington, D.C., where leaders from the nation's top veterans' service and member service organizations gathered to discuss VA's current initiatives to better serve the veterans' community.

We will also follow AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley and National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof to Capitol Hill, where they will sit in on the House Invisible Wounds Caucus roundtable to discuss tinnitus in today's returning service members. Tinnitus is commonly exhibited by ringing in the ears experienced by service members exposed to excessive noise, gun shots and explosions in the combat zone.

American Veteran will also follow this week's hearing in the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will deliver testimony on VA's plan to implement the latest Agent Orange presumptive service-connected conditions, which AMVETS has expressed its support for in the past. Should Congress approve VA's proposed guidelines, more than 150,000 Vietnam veterans could be eligible to receive VA care and compensation for the new presumptive conditions.

This week, AMVETS leaders will also check back in with the Department of Education which is expected to start making decisions on grant awards for student-veteran "centers of excellence" by next Tuesday, Sept. 28. AMVETS has championed the effort to commission such federal grants over the last three years and the department has solicited grant applications throughout the summer.

This week we will also bring you highlights of recent 9/11 and National POW/MIA Recognition Day observances from AMVETS posts and departments around the country. If you have a story you would like us to highlight here on the blog or in the pages of American Veteran magazine, please send them along. And, as always, please feel free to comment on our stories.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will recap the weekend's acknowledgments of 9/11 by AMVETS posts and departments around the country, including National Commander Jerry Hotop's remarks on 9/11 in Illinois.

We will also follow AMVETS National Legislative Department to Capitol Hill as the House Committees on Veterans Affairs reconvenes to hear testimony on personality disorder discharges, Post-9/11 G.I. Bill implementation, VA claims processor training, and pending veterans' legislation.

AMVETS leaders will also participate in this week's summit of veterans organizations and military organizations hosted by VA.

AMVETS National Legislative Department also continues to compile the 2010 symposium report from the recent AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans hosted at the national convention in Louisville, Ky.

This Friday, American Veteran will also follow Cmdr. Hotop back to his home state of Missouri where he will participate in the St. Louis Cardinals salute to America's POW/MIA in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Friday, Sept. 17.

AMVETS leaders in Washington will also be on hand Friday at the Pentagon for the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' ceremony honoring America's POW/MIA.

As always, please let us know what you think by commenting on this blog, and if you have photos or stories that you would like us to share, please send us an e-mail.

Cmdr. Hotop Remembers 9/11

Tomorrow morning AMVETS National Commander Jerry Hotop will join the AMVETS Department of Illinois for their 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, where Hotop will deliver his remarks on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that thrust the United States into the Global War on Terror. Here is Hotop's prepared statement on 9/11:

"Nine years ago today, many of us in this great nation awoke to the horror of American Airlines flight 11 crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Later, many of our worst fears were realized when three more planes were hijacked to be used as weapons against our peaceful nation. The attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the failed attempt in rural Pennsylvania began a new era in American history. This era is marked by a new kind of patriotism our nation has never known. Instead of the fear and hopelessness the terrorists of 9/11 hoped to plant, courage and valor have grown.

"Instead of hatred and instability, America has grown more compassionate and stronger. We have rebuilt and regained our strength. But through this renewal and growth, we must not let the images of the crashed planes, falling buildings and burning countryside fade from our memories.

"So, today we remember the morning of September 11, 2001, and the atrocities that were carried out on our soil.

"We must constantly remind ourselves of the bravery and heroism that was demonstrated by the flight attendants, pilots, and passengers aboard those hijacked aircraft. We remember great courage of the firefighters and police who came from across the nation to assist those in their time of need.

"Today, we should say a special prayer for those families who have lost a loved one and have spent the last five years learning to live day to day with this tragedy. We remember their pain, and today we will grieve with them. We will not let the memory of so many Americans be forgotten.

"And despite all of the dreadful memories we remember on this day, we should also stand proudly as Americans. We are proud to have remained firm in our beliefs and in our patriotism even in the face of terrorism.

"It is important for us to remember that today we are a nation at war. We must make a concerted effort to remember and honor those who carry out our noble mission: the brave service men and women who are fighting for our freedom across the globe, like Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, who we learned yesterday will be the first living service member in the Global War on Terror to be honored with the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor.

"Much in the way Giunta and his fellow paratroopers thwarted a kidnapping attempt and suppressed a Taliban onslaught in the mountains of Afghanistan, we must all remain vigilant in our fight against those who would take away the freedoms for which so many veterans have fought. We must not back down, give up or run away. We must remain firm in our support of American troops at home and abroad and never forget their daily sacrifices. After all, it is these brave individuals who have preserved the freedoms that Osama Bin Laden and his thugs sought to destroy.

"We should say a special 'thank you' to these members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and reserves who continue to defend our nation.

"America is truly the land of the free and the home of the brave.

"Please join me as we observe a moment of silence for those who lost their lives and those whose lives were forever changed on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001."

(Image: A New York City firefighter calls for additional rescue workers in the smoldering rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 15, 2001. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Preston Keres, released.)

AMVETS Response to President Obama's Afghanistan Strategy

Tonight, President Obama outlined his plan to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan with an ambitious plan to start withdrawing combat troops within 18 months. Below is the President's address in its entirety from www.WhiteHouse.gov:



AMVETS' interests have always been in preserving America's interests and holding those who attacked us on 9/11 accountable for their actions.

That being said, AMVETS leaders cannot speculate on whether or not the President's plan will succeed, we can only hope that his words are sincere, that our nation's top military advisors have prudently considered the options for success, and that, as a nation, we will consider the needs of these additional 30,000 troops now called to serve long after they have returned from duty.

The need for additional troops on the ground in Afghanistan only reinforces the need for timely VA and defense funding. Both the VA and Defense budgets are now more than two months late, and our leaders in Congress must act quickly to ensure that we meet the needs of those brave enough to fight our nation's wars.

As AMVETS Legislative Director Ray Kelley says all the time, "if you're going to fund the war, you have to fund the war-fighters."

Throughout our nation's history, we've proven time and again that our military men and women are capable of overcoming insurmountable odds against brutal enemies. However, American memories tend to be short. After nearly every conflict, our veterans seem to be neglected almost as soon as the last muzzle falls silent.

This cannot happen to today's veterans, which is why AMVETS will continue to fight for improved care for those on today's battlefield long after they have returned. We have made great strides over the last couple of years with the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, improved military mental health screening and treatment, and advance VA health care funding, but the work continues.

With tonight's announcement and the holiday season upon us, AMVETS thoughts and prayers remain with the hundreds of thousands of American troops serving in harm's way, those who will soon be called to serve, and their loved ones.

President to Outline New Way Forward in Afghanistan

Tonight, President Barack Obama will outline his new plan for Afghanistan in a prime time address to America. The address, which will take place at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point starts at 8 p.m. eastern time and will be broadcast on most major television networks.

The Pentagon has indicated that after months of deliberations that the President has decided to send more than 34,000 additional U.S. troops to quell the continuing violence in Afghanistan. The first new unit will consist of Marines who are scheduled to be in-country before Christmas.

AMVETS leaders have supported American action in Afghanistan since 2001 and have urged military leaders to do everything in their power to assure American military success in the region.

However, AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley cautioned that should the Pentagon continue to escalate America's presence overseas, Congress and the Administration must ensure they fund every aspect of the war, including the war-fighters.

"With more of our men and women going into harm's way, it's our responsibility to ensure they're properly cared for when they return home," Kelley said. "This means increased funding for VA and swift passage of the new VA and defense budgets, which are now two months late."

The President has heard sharp criticism over Afghanistan from both sides of the aisle, with liberals urging the President to cut off further escalation and conservatives urging the President to take decisive action to ensure the success of our men and women in uniform.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs indicated that the President hopes to assure his critics that the decision to send more American troops into harm's way eight years into the conflict is the prudent and responsible decision to preserve American interests in the volatile region.

The additional troops are intended to flush out members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda sympathizers in an effort to stabilize Afghanistan and defeat those responsible for attacking the United States on 9/11.

(Photo: U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion 4th Marine Regiment patrol outside Now Zad, Afghanistan in Nov. 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Daniel M. Moman, released.)

I Will Never Forget: My personal 9/11 story

I was an undergraduate at the University of Rhode Island on Sept. 11, 2001. I was dating a girl, Kerry, at the time and she happened to stay over my dorm room in Fayerweather the night before. My roommate, Danny, had to be up early for an 8 a.m. class.

Shortly before nine, our phones started to ring. We thought nothing of it, let them go to voicemail, and rolled back over. But they both kept going off. Kerry and I were getting annoyed. After all, we had been up late the night before and neither of us had class until the afternoon.

Finally, I answered. It was Danny. He told us to turn on the TV. His mother in Hoboken, N.J. had just called frantic, saying that a plane had hit the World Trade Center.

I was worried, but I quickly thought back to the 1994 attacks and how benign they seemed at the time. Regardless, I turned on the TV and saw the smoke billowing from the north tower. I was stirred, but not shocked--I still had no concept of what was actually happening. The shock came when the second plane slammed into the south tower as we watched live. Speculation over whether or not this was an accident could immediately be thrown out the window.

I turned to Kerry and said, "well, the shit hit the fan."

I had joined the Army Reserve just after graduating from high school in 1999, and we often used that phrase to describe the most unlikely of doomsday scenarios under which we could all be instantly called to go to war. I was now watching this unlikely scenario unfold right in front of me.

As the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 rolled on, the gravity of the situation became apparent. News came in that a third plane had struck the Pentagon and another was hijacked somewhere over western Pennsylvania. This was the real deal. How many planes were hijacked? America was clearly under attack, but on what scale? Were we even safe in Middle-of-Nowhere, R.I.?

Kerry and I were glued to the TV as innocent people jumped from the towers to avoid the horrors of burning alive. We heard reports from the ground that police and firefighters were running into the building and other first responders were thinking of ways to possibly evacuate those stranded above the points of impact.

This was all for naught. As reporters struggled for words to describe the situation that was unfolding, the south tower gave way, plummeting to the street below.

Smoke and dust quickly swallowed up downtown Manhattan and nobody could say for sure what just happened. Then came confirmation that the south tower had collapsed. What now? How many people were inside? How many people got out alive? Could the north tower possibly be saved?

The grim answer to that last question came a mere 29 minutes later when the top floors succumbed to the burning jet fuel, leading to another chain reaction as the north tower's internal support structure buckled, collapsing to the ground with thousands more innocent civilians and first responders trapped inside.

Danny finally returned from class and the three of us did our best to sort through what we had just seen. Danny, Kerry, and our other friends from the New York metro area scrambled to try and contact loved ones potentially caught in the mess. Cell phone lines were clogged and many of my friends were left wondering what exactly had happened to their families. Later in the day, we learned that Danny's mother had watched the towers fall from her office window across the Hudson River.

In an effort to calm down, Kerry and I retired to her sorority house and talked for the rest of the morning about what we had witnessed. Class was an afterthought. She finally managed to get a hold of her mother in northern New Jersey and her father on Long Island. Though they were never really in danger, it was comforting to know they were safe. That night, as expected, I received the dreaded call from my Reserve unit. They had put together a security roster and were calling us in for overnight rotations.

Upon hearing the news, I called my friend Rish, a member of the Rhode Island National Guard at the time. He had received a similar call. We talked outside of my dorm for about an hour amid the eerie calm of empty skies. I would get off easy at the time. I only had to pull about a week of overnight guard shifts at my Reserve center before they formally activated some of my fellow soldiers for 90 days of duty. Rish was not so lucky. He was put on orders from the National Guard to pull similar shifts at his unit, eventually forcing him to withdraw for the semester.

After 9/11, the fall semester was by far my worst at URI. With the war ramping up in Afghanistan, my friends working around the clock, and Reserve training kicking up about 10 notches, it was hard to focus on anything else. Eventually, I turned it around in the spring, but now Iraq was closing in our radar.

Fall 2002 I made the dean's list, but in late December my Reserve unit was put on alert. We were going to Iraq. I quickly withdrew from URI, made arrangements to move out of my house, and basically packed up my life for a year to go serve my country.

The moment the two planes hit the towers has now come to define the subsequent eight years of my life and great deal of my personal character--a week of balancing overnight armed guard duty at my Reserve unit while juggling fall classes, my year-long deployment to Iraq, my subsequent motivation to graduate upon returning home, my work at the Naval War College, my move to Washington, D.C., and my work today for AMVETS and American Veteran magazine.

As the war in Afghanistan continues to heat up, I implore all Americans to remember the mission at hand: Holding those responsible for the 9/11 attacks accountable for their actions. Osama Bin Laden remains at large, Al-Qaeda continues to carry out attacks on our allies around the world, and the Taliban continues to inflict harm on Americans looking to bring stability to Afghanistan.

Today, I hope we each pause to not only remember the victims at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa., but also the 2.5 million brave men and women who answered the call to serve our nation in the wake of 9/11--especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

To me, Afghanistan is a war worth winning--something that we must never forget, even in the wake of discouraging polls about the "value" of our involvement.

I will never forget and I will continue to support all the brave men and women serving in harm's way. This is my personal story of 9/11 and how it has affected me. We're eager to hear your personal stories on this blog.

-Ryan

(Photo: The World Trade Center towers burning on Sept. 11, 2001 with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. National Parks Service photo, released.)