Vicky Hartzler: “Thank you, Dr. Heck. It is an honor to be here today and to be able to share a few words in memory of what happened on…”

“Thank you, Dr. Heck. It is an honor to be here today and to be able to share a few words in memory of what happened on 9/11. 9/11 changed our world forever. It is this generation's Pearl Harbor, and it will live on in infamy. Most of us will always remember where we were when we heard the news of the attack. I was at home with our then 1\1/2\-year-old daughter, who was just finishing breakfast. It was a bright, clear, sunny day in the fall. The doorbell rang. My neighbor was on my doorstep, saying that he'd just heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center towers. Thinking it a tragic accident, we turned on the TV and were horrified to watch a second plane crash into the second tower. This wasn't an accident. America was under attack. The hours after that were surreal as we learned of the attack on the Pentagon, of the brave passengers who intervened on Flight 93, of the airplane trails in the sky that did an about-face, then dissipated-- they were no more--as planes were grounded all across this country. We then watched in horror on TV as the towers collapsed and thousands lost their lives. My neighbor left; and I, like most Americans, turned in prayer to the one who gives comfort, strength and hope during times like this. I held my daughter close, wondering what the future would bring.…”