9-11

I had been thinking about where I was when Sept. 11 2001 rolled around on the calendar and then today I came across a friends blog where she had posted her experience and asked others to share theirs. So here is my memory of what happened in my life that day.
We had arrived in Germany in late August and were shipped to Bad Abling, down south by the border. After two weeks of being in limbo they shipped us up to Darmstadt. The post was such that the main part of the post (hotel. PX, food places, theatre) was up on a hill. Down the hill and across the street was the section where the schools and housing were located.
We were staying in the hotel. I was tired after the travel and frustrated with having been shuffled around so much, not really knowing for sure where we were going to be. Were we really going to stay here or would they decide to send us back to Bad Abling or some other location? Matt had started in-processing and it was Seri's first day of kindergarten.
Michael and I had enjoyed a day of hanging around in the hotel room and had gone to pick Seri up from school. On the way back to the hotel right as we got to the street a line of military vehicles pulled up in front of us and military men jumped out in full military gear and formed a line around the perimeter of the post. Here I was with my children, who were understandably afraid of the soldiers in full gear and their guns, holding both of their hands and not having a clue as to what was going on. They informed me that I needed to go back into the post and return to my housing. I explained that we were staying up in billeting and that I needed to cross the street. It appeared that this was not an option. I then found a park and not knowing what else to do sat on a bench trying to figure out what was going on while my children innocently played on the playground
Awhile later another mom and her children came to join us and when I explained what was going on she invited us back to her home. We had not been there long when she received a call telling her what had happened and to turn on the TV. We did and we both sat there, stunned.. At first I wasn't sure exactly what was going on or how this was happening, then as the coverage continued it became clear. Life for us was going to change.
I had no idea where Matt was and no way to locate him. I had none of my belongings and wasn't sure when I would be able to return to our hotel and there were Army men patrolling the perimeter of the post in full battle gear. I was scared. This on top of all the emotions I was already feeling put me into a robotic mode I think. You know where you stop feeling anything and just concentrate on the basics of surviving and caring for your children.
I knew Matt's unit though and it turns out that their neighbor was in the same unit so they contacted her and asked her to try to find Matt. He later showed up and my family ended up staying with her family in their home that night. We fell asleep on their living room couches with the TV on afraid to shut it off for fear that we would miss coverage of another attack or the Presidents address stating what he was going to do as the leader of our country.
The next day we returned to the hotel but sure enough life had changed. All the perimeters of the post were now gated and had check points at every entrance. No one gained admittance without proper ID. All vehicles were thoroughly searched, at first by armed soldiers then later by German security. Shrines showed up at the entrance gates by Germans bringing signs, candles and stuffed animals. You would see classes of German school children walking to the gate carrying the pictures and letters they had made for the Americans. It was truly a sight. At the same time it was obvious that some Germans thought we had gotten what we deserved and they took the opportunity to show their disdain at us being in their country. There were protests blocking the Autobahn, American cars received new license plates which would help us not be so obvious, and some Germans on the street were just plain rude.
We were not all that far from Landsthul, the Military hospital where the casualties were brought, so that brought it closer to home. Soon it seemed that all the men on post were being deployed. There was one point when there were only two Priesthood men present in church and nearby priesthood came to help. Everyone we knew practically was fighting. Life took on a new normal where everyday was steeped in the war. Literally, not a day went by that we were not aware of what was happening, that there weren't more signs of what was going on.
I think our experience was a tad different as we were on a military post that was heavily involved in engagement and because we were overseas at the time.
At the same time I think this was the beginning of the end of Matt's military career. He had joined with the expectation of being a soldier as his father and grandfather were before him. Now that there was a war going on he was not able to go fight it. I can't remember how many times that boy tried to get sent over there. He had ideas to switch units, to attach to other units, to do anything that would allow him a piece of the action. He wanted to fight and protect like all military members do and instead he had to stay in the back and support. After a few years of this he became dis-enchanted with the military and no longer cared.
So, that's our story. Now what is yours? Where were you and how did the events of that day affect your life?