10 Years Ago....

I remember all very clearly, the alarm clock went off at 6 just like every other weekday, I rolled over and kissed my wife got up and went to the shower, our six week old was asleep in his bassinet, our older kids where in their beds.

I did the three S's (if you need to know what those are ask you dad.) it took the usual 20 minutes to accomplish that. I came out of the bathroom and my wife was feeding our youngest, she said you might wanna go check the news, I went out to the living room and turned on the news just as the second plane hit, I looked at it and said what the F*uck, I say that the 1st tower has been hit and I realized right then and there that we were under attack.

I went back to the bedroom, and grabbed my uniform, you see I was the Non Commissioned Officer in Charge of Air Training, for the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB Utah, I can only think of one other time I got dressed that fast that's another story, I got dressed, went over and kissed my youngest and looked at him and thought 20 minutes ago the world was normal (whatever normal was/is)and now it had all changed. I went and kissed each one of my other kids and told them I loved them, I went back to my wife kissed and hugged told her I loved her and said, "I'll see you when I see you". Because honestly I wasn't sure if I wasn't going to be on an aircraft my the days end going only God knew where.

Ten years later I took my son's to the Healing Field in Sandy, Utah and we walked among the 3,000 plus flags, I recalled it all, and the feelings overwhelmed me, it really hit me when a lone bag piper started playing Amazing Grace I sat on the ground and just listened to music, I felt the tears welling up,like they did the day after I saw the members of UT Task Force-1 getting ready to deploy to New York, only that day they flowed like I turned on hydrant, today all I had one was one tear slowly run down my face, I looked around me and saw others releasing emotions one young lady who was in her late teens early twenty's tears rolling down her cheeks, I thought perhaps she was recalling what she was doing that morning.

I believe that going today brought me some peace, as I walked through field of flags I thanked God that we got that bastard.

The unveiled a new sculpture yesterday Sept 10, 2011 of the three FDNY firefighters hoisting the flag at ground zero that afternoon, it really is a moving experience to stand there and look at that and recall that day.

I saw this to all my brethren past present and future, thank you and God Bless you.

Richard P Kilboy TSgt (Ret) USAF

These are my thoughts and my thoughts alone

On this weekend........

On this weekend I am remebering my two grandfathers who served in WWI.  When I was in the service I wore one dogtag from each of them with my own tags. It was my way of always having them with me.

Now they are in a case with my own along with my other ribbons and such.

Thank you for all veterans before me, for if it wasn't for you I and we as a nation would not be the great nation we are today.