It is still the most significant thing that has happened to our country in my lifetime. I had just begun working as an attorney for the Federal Trade Commission at the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown, only a few blocks from the Capitol. September 11, 2001 was my first real day in the office (Monday, September 10th was an orientation day). The first sign that I knew there was something wrong that morning was that my internet wasn’t working and our help desk couldn’t figure it out until, after several minutes of trying to assist, the guy on the phone says “maybe it’s all the news that is happening this morning.” To which I said, “What news?” (since I had received no calls and thought I was disconnected from the internet). He then casually said words that make my heart drop, even ’til this day, “They’re sending planes into the World Trade Center.” I was so shocked by that statement that I didn’t even know how to ask him any follow-up questions. Shortly thereafter, everyone on my floor was becoming aware of the horror of what was happening. We began hearing rumors of other attacks that proved to not be true (like a fire on the National Mall, etc.). Then, we evacuated the building and people outside from many buildings were doing the same. It was total disorientation, uncertainty, and fear. I took the metro at that time (the Blue Line towards Addison Road, which now has Largo as its terminus), so naturally I headed to the nearest stop without knowing if it would be running. Fortunately, it was (though unusually empty), and I was able to get home, only to see on television that the Pentagon had been struck by a plane and the South Tower had collapsed. Then, like so many of you, I watched in disbelief and shock as the North Tower fell as well. Later, we all saw on the news the crash site in Shanksville, PA, where the valiant United Flight 93 heroes stopped the terrorists from launching a final attack on our nation’s capital at the cost of their own lives. Later that day, we saw the 47-story 7 World Trade Center collapse too.

Everything changed that day. As a nation, it was like our soul had been badly wounded. Political party, race, religion, or any other difference just didn’t matter in the wake of that horrific day. We pulled together. Brought justice to the perpetrators. We remembered what it meant to be Americans. The importance of this 20th anniversary should be to do just that, to remember those who lost their lives that day and their families, to remember the countless acts of heroism that day — especially from our first responders, and to remind each other that we can still transcend our differences, no matter how profound, and accomplish amazing things together as a nation.

When they were planning to rebuild the World Trade Center at the site of the original towers, I initially really wanted them to rebuild the North and South Towers just as they were, how I remembered them as a boy when we visited mighty New York City and I, as a lover of skyscrapers, rode up to the top of the towers with my family. I thought it would be a proud and defiant statement to say that we would continue forth as an unintimidated nation in spite of the evil of September the 11th. But, after a few visits over the years to the new World Trade Center, the towering Freedom Tower, and the beautiful and poignant memorials that sit at the very sites of the original towers, I realized that to rebuild them just as they were would allow us to forget 9/11 far too easily. It would allow us to forget the thousands that we lost that day too easily. It would allow us to forget the hate and extremism that led to that tragic day too easily.

No, we should never forget September 11th. Nor should we ever forget that feeling and shared love of one nation that bound us together so tightly in the wake of such unimaginable tragedy.

God Bless the USA.

God Bless the World.