Remembering Those We Lost 13 Years Ago

I remember being at work on 9/11, and hearing about the first plane crash as I walked into my office.  None of the 3 or 4 colleagues there believed me, and we all turned on some form of media to confirm it.  The news started rolling in and we realized it was true.

It’s the first thing I think of each year on the anniversary of 9/11, that one moment when the unthinkable became real.

There were lots of memories over the hours and days that followed, very few of them hopeful.  And, 13 years later, it’s still a seminal moment for me.

I do see it in a slightly different perspective now as our kids have aged.  We all knew this would be a memory we would never outlive.  But, it’s shifted for me into something to educate our children about, undoubtedly as my father explained things like Vietnam, the Korean War or Martin Luther King Jr. to me and my grandfather explained Pearl Harbor to him.

I was fortunate to sit with the late widow of one of the pilots of the tragic flights, Captain Jason Dahl a few years ago and listen to her perspective as she showed me some of Jason’s belongings that had been recovered from the crash site of Flight 93.  It was a quiet, sobering moment I won’t soon forget.

His widow and her friends (Jason’s colleagues) started the Jason Dahl Fund in remembrance of Jason and to provide support for students of aviation on their path to becoming a pilot.

Today isn’t necessarily about raising money for charity, it’s about remembering those we lost.  But, I woke up this morning and  felt that the right thing to do for me was to recognize Jason Dahl.

I’ve chosen to make a small donation this morning as my way to remember.  I’m happy to match any donations today, up to $100 per individual, to the Dahl Fund if you’re interested in participating.

For some folks, this day is something very private, still filled with hurt after over a decade.  I respect that.

These are just my thoughts on a painful day for so many.