September 11, 2001--A day that changed all of us forever
A word from the owner
When I selected the name for this business, I wavered. "Should I use '9/11' or not?" That was the question I asked myself. I was concerned of the possibility that customers might feel I was trying to make light of, or exploit, the tragedy of that day simply to increase sales. I can honestly say nothing is further from the truth.
​
You see I was there. On that morning, my shift at my fire department started like any other. I was actually awaiting the arrival of my wife from visiting her family. She was on a plane flying back to Washington, D.C. I had the kids at home, and had planned to get to the firehouse when she got back into town. Fast forward three hours and she is being re-routed to Cleveland, OH, I am making emergency sitter arrangements, and all emergency workers are being recalled to duty.
When I finally arrived at the Pentagon, the initial chaos had mostly abated. We were tasked with locating pieces of wreckage, assisting technical rescue teams with shoring up the building, and, in the event we happened upon them, locating and marking human remains. This continued for weeks following the attacks with different fire companies taking turns.
​
I am intimately familiar with the response that fateful day, as well as the responders. The first American flag re-planted in the wreckage of the Pentagon was stuck into the concrete rubble "Iwo Jima" style by a member of my department; the Army Technical Rescue team tasked to the Pentagon was a unit I had left barely 2 years prior. I trained many of them. The large American Flag draped off the side of the Pentagon was unfurled, in part, by my firehouse's truck company (Black helmets) and one of our chiefs.
As time has moved on, the cries of "Never forget" seem to have gotten quieter. Back then I would have said "No one who lived that day could ever forget. You're crazy!" And yet we have sanitized the events. We don't show the footage because its "too traumatic to view." We talk about it as if it's just an interesting footnote in our nation's history. I sometimes wonder if we are actually in danger of forgetting that day and the sacrifices of so many?
​
I deliberately chose the name 9/11 Training. I purposely put the pictures of that day on my company's items. And I insist on talking about it so that, in my small corner of the world, we don't forget. Many of my students now were either too young or not even born yet when the attacks happened. We owe it to them to tell them about this piece of our history. Otherwise we defile the memory of those who paid the ultimate price for just going about their lives that day.
It has been said that heroes are simply ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations. I truly believe that. On 9/11 the acts of heroism were too numerous to count. To my fire company of Glen, Dougie, Trace, Billy B., Jr. Morgan, Punk, and Lou I say "Thank you." I couldn't have asked for better brothers. To the 343, I say "Thank you for your sacrifice." You gave all to save those you didn't know. To the families of the more than 3,000 killed that day I say "I will not forget, and I will teach the future so they will know."
​
It is the best legacy I feel I can leave.
​
Blaine