7 Years Ago Today...

I was serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My companion and I were standing at a bus stop waiting to go to a lunch appointment when a couple of gentleman sitting outside a tire shop had called to us from across the street. "Olha o que é que tá acontecendo no país de vocês!" (Look at what's going on in your guys' country!) We turned to the television on the wall just inside the lobby of the tire shop to see the first smoldering tower of the World Trade Center. At first I felt as if my time had been wasted. I had been called over to see the previews to a new feature motion picture. I soon noticed the "Ao Vivo" (Live) broadcast tag in the bottom corner of the screen and began to put things together. Suddenly an object blazed across the picture as the second aircraft crashed into the towers. It was at that point I realized that my nation, the home I had not seen in nearly two years, was under attack.

Our bus arrived a few long minutes after that and we made our way to our lunch appointment. I remember the shock, the despair, the anxiety, and the outrage I felt as we obtained more of the details through the rest of our conversations on the street that day. Who could have done such a thing?! Was my family safe? With all the planes grounded and heightened security would I ever get to return home again?

It was interesting to see the polarizing effect the attacks had on the Brazilian people. I know as missionaries it's not recommended that we engage in political discussions with the people, but it was nearly impossible to avoid in light of what had happened. There were folks who were genuinely concerned and outraged alongside us as well as those who adopted a more resentful and vindictive sentiment towards America as the world's "bully". Suffice to say it was a long and difficult final few months for me in Brazil.

Fast forwarding 2 1/2 years... 

After a couple of financially frustrating years at BYU-Idaho I found myself doing a lot of researching and reflecting about my future. I began to gravitate toward the idea of working somewhere in the field of international relations. Despite having so many in my family serve our nation-my grandfather, Benjamin Sr. retired from the Air Force after 30 years of service in 1985; my uncle, Keith was a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis; my aunt, Linda graduated from The Ohio State University as an ROTC cadet and served to retirement in the United States Navy; my uncle, Michael serving a short stint in the Air Force, and my own father serving briefly in the United States Army-I never gave much thought to the military as an option for me. Following several months of fact-finding and consulting with my family about the rigors and risks of military life I was convinced that joining the Air Force would be the best step for me and my future family.

During my time in the military I have taken great pride in being an active participant in securing the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. I have been privileged to serve along side others who have selflessly given of their time and talents, who have sacrificed many of the luxuries and comforts that the rest of America so often takes for granted, and who have laid down their lives in defense of our rights, our freedoms, and our safety. 

Let us all take a moment to remember those people and those families effected by the events of this tragic day just seven years ago. Let us remember how quickly the comforts and securities we enjoy can be ripped away from us and how sacred the service rendered by the men and women of our armed forces and show our support for them by more than just bumper stickers.

God Bless America!