A Day I Will Never Forget

25 years ago today, I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when the world changed. I’m willing to bet you do too, if you were alive that day. It’s one of those markers in history that shapes our lives from that point forward.  It is a day I will never forget.

I was a newly elected freshman Congressman, still learning where everything was in the building. We were in the middle of our morning staff meeting when radical Islamic terrorists used our airplanes to attack our country and took nearly 3000 American lives. When a plane hit the Pentagon several miles away, we felt it and could see the rising smoke from our office building.

At the same time, another hijacked flight was headed towards Washington.  No one knew what was happening, moment by moment. The White House, the Capitol, and most of the office buildings were evacuated, including mine. My staff was sent home, while I stayed behind with my Chief of Staff and Administrative Assistant, trying to figure out what was happening in real time. Phone lines were jammed, and confusion hung over Washington, DC, and the entire country. That flight ultimately ended in a field in Pennsylvania due to the courageous efforts of the passengers on board.

In an instant, everything changed. America had been attacked. In the hours immediately after, we didn’t even know who perpetrated it, but we knew it was an act of war, and we committed to seek out and destroy terrorism and those who perpetrated it.

In the days that followed, we had to make consequential decisions that changed the course of history and how we live our lives. I never imagined when I was first elected to Congress that we would be attacked like we were. It certainly changes the way you view things.

One thing was clear in the aftermath—our nation’s resolve, patriotism, and unity were as high as they’d ever been. Nothing divided us. Together, we were committed to restoring peace, freedom, and justice at home and abroad. Today, many only read of what happened on September 11th in the history books. That day will always be different for them, than for those of us who experienced it. Frankly, some of it is just hard to explain if you weren’t there—the immediate feelings as things unfolded, the response, and the resolve of the American people. Every bit of that day rushes back over me the minute I see any footage or even just reflect on how things unfolded.

I continue to think of those we lost that day, the heroes who rushed towards the chaos to provide any help possible, and those who stepped up to serve in the wake of the attacks. Today we continue to remind people to “never forget.” For me, it’s a day I can’t forget, and I pray no one else will either.

Sincerely,

Sam Graves