Kay Granger: “the memory of September 11 and our reaction to it will be forever with us. Most of us experienced first shock, then…”

“the memory of September 11 and our reaction to it will be forever with us. Most of us experienced first shock, then disbelief, confusion, yes, great concern, certainly, but, above all, horror when we fully realized what had been done to us. Each of us remembers just where we were, what we were doing and how we felt. When I am asked where I was, I am always met with surprise when I explain that I was at the Pentagon that morning. I was there with a handful of other Members at a breakfast meeting with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He had asked us there to discuss the future of the military and what changes, transformation was the word used, what transformation had to occur for us to meet the challenges of the 21st century and the dangers of our time. It was a thoughtful and serious discussion, of course, as we all considered what would be needed to meet the dangers we thought we understood. And then, in a matter of seconds, as that meeting broke up, we learned of that first dreadful deed. As we made our way back to the Capitol, our worst fears were realized when the second plane hit the second tower. Now it is 3 years later, and I often return to that meeting in my mind, thinking how prophetic it was to be looking into the future trying to see and prepare for what was to come. The question being asked daily during this election period is: Are we safer today than we were on September 11?”