Never forget

Supervisor Jim Desmond

5th District

This past weekend, I participated in two 9/11 Memorial events, both of which honored the brave men and women who died on that horrific day. It was not lost on me that both events took place in Oceanside, a city whose fabric and culture are built by our military.

On the morning of 9/11, I sat numb, and stared, like all Americans, not yet comprehending the impact this would have on all our lives. I reflected on my time in the Navy, and how our brave military personnel must be feeling the days after 9/11. Conversations of war and the geopolitical consequences of a terror attack on American soil would have.

Everyone remembers where they were when they saw the event unfold. My 9/11 story occurred in an unusual place, thousands of miles away from the tragedy that swept our nation. Some of you may not know this but, for 35 years, I was a pilot for Delta Airlines.

I’ve spent thousands of hours in the cockpit, going all around the world and on Sept. 9, 2001, I was at the helm flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu. On the morning of Sept. 11, I woke to a call from the captain who told me to turn on the TV. It was unusual for the captain to call, especially just a few hours before I was supposed to fly back to Los Angeles.

For the next five days, our hotel became a hub for airline crews and pilots from all over the world. We received daily briefings and updates, not knowing when we would be able to return home.

Sept. 11th is a day we must never forget. In the face of a horrific tragedy there were many heroes and people who gave their lives to protect others. We must never take our freedom for granted.