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Foundry Remembers 9/11

Remembering 9/11

Watching the images of smoke rising from lower Manhattan, from the Pennsylvania countryside, and from the walls of the Pentagon on the evening of September 11th, I remember telling my then pre-teen boys that the world had just changed, and I prayed for their futures.  The world did change.  In the ten years since, hundreds of thousands of men and women have come forward to stand between our nation and those who have sworn to destroy us.  Here in America, we sometimes forget that 9/11 was an attack not just on us, but on all freedom loving people.  I’d like to share an email message from a young officer, Ensign Megan M. Hallinan, serving on the destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) during the days immediately following the attacks.

If you haven't served aboard ship -- "manning the rail" is a shipboard ceremony to render honors reserved for only high ranking dignitaries, such as Heads of State and, significantly, when passing the USS Arizona Memorial.

Dear Dad,

Well, we are still out at sea, with little direction as to what our next priority is. The remainder of our port visits, which were to be centered around max liberty and goodwill to the United Kingdom, have all but been cancelled. We have spent every day since the attacks going back and forth within imaginary boxes drawn in the ocean, standing high-security watches, and trying to make the best of our time.

It hasn't been that fun I must confess, and to be even more honest, a lot of people are frustrated at the fact that they either can't be home, or we don't have more direction right now. We have seen the articles and the photographs, and they are sickening. Being isolated as we are, I don't think we appreciate the full scope of what is happening back home, but we are definitely feeling the effects.

About two hours ago the junior officers were called to the bridge to conduct Shiphandling drills. We were about to do a man overboard when we got a call from the LUTJENS (D185), a German warship that was moored ahead of us on the pier in Plymouth, England. While in port, the WINSTON S CHURCHILL and the LUTJENS got together for a sports day/cookout on our fantail, and we made some pretty good friends.

Now at sea they called over on bridge-to-bridge, requesting to pass us close up on our port side, to say good-bye. We prepared to render them honors on the bridgewing, and the Captain told the crew to come topside to wish them farewell.

As they were making their approach, our Conning Officer announced through her binoculars that they were flying an American flag. As they came even closer, we saw that it was flying at half-mast. The bridgewing was crowded with people as the Boatswain's Mate blew two whistles- Attention to Port- the ship came up alongside and we saw that the entire crew of the German ship were manning the rails, in their dress blues. They had made up a sign that was displayed on the side that read "We Stand By You."

Needless to say there was not a dry eye on the bridge as they stayed alongside us for a few minutes and we cut our salutes.

It was probably the most powerful thing I have seen in my entire life and more than a few of us fought to retain our composure. It was a beautiful day outside today. We are no longer at liberty to divulge over unsecure e-mail our location, but we could not have asked for a finer day at sea.

The German Navy did an incredible thing for this crew, and it has truly been the highest point in the days since the attacks. It's amazing to think that only a half-century ago things were quite different, and to see the unity that is being demonstrated throughout Europe and the world makes us all feel proud to be out here doing our job.

After the ship pulled away and we prepared to begin our man overboard drills the Officer of the Deck turned to me and said "I'm staying Navy."

I'll write you when I know more about when I'll be home, but for now, this is probably the best news that I could send you. Love you guys.

 

Let us take this as a reminder that from the very beginning, we have been in a struggle that should bring us together as a free people.  To those families who have lost loved ones in this decade-long struggle, let us open our hearts and tell them “We stand by you.”   To those who have returned scarred or broken, those who are whole, but changed, to those standing on that rampart in the world’s dark places today, “We stand by you.”  But we as a people over the past decade face the more pervasive costs of this struggle: our people unemployed, our economy staggering, our faith in government shaken, and the vision of a free, democratic, and prosperous future for the world in doubt.  Let us put down the foolish, petty, destructive, shortsighted bickering that divides us from the task at hand.  Let us instead Learn the Lesson and stand by each other so that we can rebuild a society worth being proud of, rejuvenate an economy that creates new products to enlighten the world and uses the talents of our people instead of only creating (and destroying) wealth by financial manipulation, and let us restore purpose to our lives.  Only by all of us pulling together can we rebuild an American that can then send out the call to all the freedom-loving people of the world:  ”We Stand By You.”

 

 -- The above was eloquently written by Dr. Lawrence Lee.  All of us at Foundry remember that day of infamy.  We thank the heroes of that day and every day since for keeping all of us safe.