September 11, 2001 - Five Years Later

It's five years later and "Where were you when President Kennedy was shot?" has been replaced with "Where were you when the Towers fell?" And while I cannot help but cry for all the lost and their families on the fifth anniversary of one of the most horrendous days in our history, my thoughts are also with another group of men--another group of heroes. That group of men? The crew serving aboard the Key West on September 11, 2001.

Today, the last of the crew from that fateful day has moved on and I wonder where each of them are as I pray for their safety and happiness. You see, while I take nothing from those who responded so bravely on the streets of New York City, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93, I also feel a debt of gratitude to those brave men who, within minutes of the planes hitting the towers, headed for the coast of Afghanistan to defend our great nation. And for a while, they stood alone.

And stand they did. The crew of 130, with no combat experience, took up our defense without flinching. They put aside fears for their own families and fought the horrible images their imaginations must have painted in their minds to make sure we were safe.

Though the names and faces of the crew have changed, the legacy of the crew lives on. So, I honor those men today--wherever you are. And say "thank you" for serving. Thank you for protecting our freedom--my freedom. And know that I hold my head a little higher because this mom's favorite Sailor now serves on the Key West--the first, the best. You left some mighty big shoes behind for him and his shipmates to fill, but they try to do so everyday, humbly, in your honor.

God bless the crew of the USS Key West--then, now, and those to come.