The author training at Graf before selfies were cool.
By: Forrest Parks
It was near the end of the day. We were all hanging out in the barracks waiting for the memorial service for one of our buddies that had been found dead in the barracks a few days earlier. Some guys were playing video games, most were just sitting around bs’ing. Around 1445, we started hearing rumors about a plane hitting one of the twin towers in New York City. People started turning on the TVs to watch AFN (Armed Forces Network). I think the show was Good Morning America or the Today show. At 1500, we all attended the memorial service still not knowing that we had been attacked.
When the service was over, we found out that a second plane had crashed into the other tower and we knew that this wasn’t an accident. As we we sitting there trying to figure out what all this meant, we watched the plane crash into the Pentagon. That’s when we knew we were at war.
Within 24 hours, we were pulling security at the housing areas which, up to that day, were open to anyone to drive through. We pulled duty for a week working 8 hours on guard, 8 hours off, and 8 hours on QRF (quick reaction force). We were then relieved for a week before doing it all again.
When our previously scheduled deployment to Grafenwohr and Hoehenfels for training came up that November, it took on a whole new meaning. Sure, all the previous times we were training for war, but this was the first time we were doing it while AT war.
Many of us lost friends on September 11, 2001. For those of us in the Military, those losses didn’t stop on 9/11. We lost many more friends and buddies in the 14 years we have been at war fighting the Islamic terrorists that attacked us. Most people don’t know those names, and that’s okay. We never signed up for the recognition. Those that knew them will remember them in our own way and that’s how they would have wanted it.
What is troubling today, 14 years after the worse attack on the United States in its history, it that we seemed to have forgotten about that attack. I don’t have TV in my house any more so I don’t know if they are showing the photos or video from that day, but I am hearing the attack mentioned on the radio and I see the news on the internet so I know it is being covered. But other than today, do people still remember the attack? Do people still remember that they attacked us and we retaliated against them?
It appears today that we are afraid to call those that attacked us what they really are — Islamic terrorists. It appears that our Congress and our President are going out of their way to not upset those of the Islamic faith. This Iran deal, not calling them terrorists, not identifying them as Islamic, not supporting Israel because it will anger the Muslims in the area; they are all a crock of crap full of excuses.
I’m sorry, but radical Islamic terrorists of the Muslin faith attacked us on our soil and I will forever hold them responsible for their actions. Calling them something different will never change who they really were and are. If that means that the radical Muslims take offense to that well they can just suck it up. Police your own people and we will stop judging ALL of you by the actions of a few. But just as you can’t judge all police officers by the actions of a few, we can’t judge all Muslims by the actions of a few. But I can hold the radical faction of the Muslim faith responsible for the actions members of their faith took today 14 years ago. I can and will.
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The Dogtag Chronicles 
Where Were You on 9/11? From Memorial Service to War
The author training at Graf before selfies were cool.
By: Forrest Parks
It was near the end of the day. We were all hanging out in the barracks waiting for the memorial service for one of our buddies that had been found dead in the barracks a few days earlier. Some guys were playing video games, most were just sitting around bs’ing. Around 1445, we started hearing rumors about a plane hitting one of the twin towers in New York City. People started turning on the TVs to watch AFN (Armed Forces Network). I think the show was Good Morning America or the Today show. At 1500, we all attended the memorial service still not knowing that we had been attacked.
When the service was over, we found out that a second plane had crashed into the other tower and we knew that this wasn’t an accident. As we we sitting there trying to figure out what all this meant, we watched the plane crash into the Pentagon. That’s when we knew we were at war.
Within 24 hours, we were pulling security at the housing areas which, up to that day, were open to anyone to drive through. We pulled duty for a week working 8 hours on guard, 8 hours off, and 8 hours on QRF (quick reaction force). We were then relieved for a week before doing it all again.
When our previously scheduled deployment to Grafenwohr and Hoehenfels for training came up that November, it took on a whole new meaning. Sure, all the previous times we were training for war, but this was the first time we were doing it while AT war.
What is troubling today, 14 years after the worse attack on the United States in its history, it that we seemed to have forgotten about that attack. I don’t have TV in my house any more so I don’t know if they are showing the photos or video from that day, but I am hearing the attack mentioned on the radio and I see the news on the internet so I know it is being covered. But other than today, do people still remember the attack? Do people still remember that they attacked us and we retaliated against them?
It appears today that we are afraid to call those that attacked us what they really are — Islamic terrorists. It appears that our Congress and our President are going out of their way to not upset those of the Islamic faith. This Iran deal, not calling them terrorists, not identifying them as Islamic, not supporting Israel because it will anger the Muslims in the area; they are all a crock of crap full of excuses.
I’m sorry, but radical Islamic terrorists of the Muslin faith attacked us on our soil and I will forever hold them responsible for their actions. Calling them something different will never change who they really were and are. If that means that the radical Muslims take offense to that well they can just suck it up. Police your own people and we will stop judging ALL of you by the actions of a few. But just as you can’t judge all police officers by the actions of a few, we can’t judge all Muslims by the actions of a few. But I can hold the radical faction of the Muslim faith responsible for the actions members of their faith took today 14 years ago. I can and will.
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