VRRRROOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!! The sound of the Air Force F-18’s flying over our apartment is deafening. I see them fly in pairs as they head off together on yet another training mission. Funny how the commonality of these fighting machines soon becomes mundane.
Not so common was the urge to cry while watching a Monday night (Tuesday morning for me) football game. Well, sort of. It was the beginning of the Pats v. Dolphins (YEAH PATS!) spar where they replayed how all the different stadiums honored the memory of those lost on 9/11. Then the national anthem was sung. That’s when the tears threatened. All the memories of that day flooded back to when I worked 20 miles from DC, next to Dulles where the sound of airplanes stopped for weeks. Some of our customers were killed when the plane hit the Pentagon and our company supplied the government with laptops to help with the communications that were affected. Soon after that day, another colleague and I went to ground zero to pay our respects to the many who gave their all. To this day I will never forget the heaviness of those ashes nor the grief that was still thick in the air.
Then I remember sitting at my desk when we heard the roar of the first planes taking off from Dulles. I almost stood up and cheered! America was fighting back by returning to a new normal.
Ten years have passed and the flag was passed from fireman to soldier. The clean up and rebuilding has continued half way across the world and young men and women are still fighting for freedom and for those who have never tasted it before. Our respect for fire, police, and military service has rapidly returned. Even the coach of the Denver Broncos wore a cap honoring the NYPD during his first game as their new head coach.
Living overseas in a very different culture always makes me more patriotic. I am so thankful for my homeland where the people are still fighting for freedom. No matter what you think of our situation right now, we are still blessed to fight for a better land and vote for a better government. To hear men and women freely express how their faith in Christ compels them to run for politics, surf with one arm, lead their family, or deploy overseas is unheard of for most of the world. Praise the Lord for these gifts!
Here in Okinawa, the armed forces radio and TV often have athletes thanking the armed forces for doing what they do so they can play the game they love to play. What a great reminder for all of us of how our protection is not just for our land, but for the pleasures we have each day in this land. I, for one, am thankful to be able to watch these games while serving in a cement paradise as they give me a slice of home where freedom reigns.
Another pair of F-18’s just flew by…and as Barrett so quickly reminds me, “That is the sound of freedom!” Thank you to all those who have served, will serve, and who have given their lives to serve God and country.