Wayne Allard: “President Bush last night did what many of us do in times of trouble: He prayed. When we prayed last night, we did so…”

“President Bush last night did what many of us do in times of trouble: He prayed. When we prayed last night, we did so not only for those who were injured or killed yesterday, but for what our nation and people are still to face. After the horror of yesterday, there are still other horrors to come. One of those horrors will be the casualty figures. The disaster is so large we don't even yet know how large it is. Some time, in the next few weeks, we are going to hear a number, the number of the dead and permanently missing. It will probably be in the thousands. I would like to take a moment to mention Capt. Jason M. Dahl, the pilot of United Airlines Flight 93. This 43-year-old Ken-Caryl Ranch, CO, father spent most of his workdays training others to fly Boeing 757's and 767's. That way, according to newspaper reports, he got to spend more time with his wife and teenage son, Matthew. But trainers must fly every so often, and Dahl apparently scheduled himself on Flight 93. He died yesterday morning when the plane slammed down into a Pennsylvania field. This is one name, one short background, and there will be thousands more. But America is strong. No terrorist can undermine our country. There is no casualty figure that could come from this that will make us lose our fundamental purpose as a nation and a people.”