Editor’s Note: Johnny “Joey” Jones enlisted in the Marine Corps right after graduating from high school following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was seriously injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, losing both legs above the knee and suffering severe injuries to his right forearm and both wrists. He is now a contributor to Fox News.
I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, and what was going through my mind on September 11, 2001, when I learned of the terrorist attacks on our country—just as millions of other Americans remember.
What I remember most is that the horror of it all – nearly 3,000 people killed – didn’t hit me, I just didn’t perceive it until later in the week.
For those of you who played football or other sports, you know you eat, sleep and breathe it. I remember lying on my back in the Georgia heat, sweating through my pads during high school football practice, looking up at the sky and seeing no planes flying, no exhaust trails.
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I remember thinking that after that terrible event, football no longer inspired me, no longer motivated me, no longer meant much to me.
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I realized then that there were people working, training, and fighting for something more than points on a scoreboard. They were fighting to preserve America’s freedom and our way of life. They were fighting for me, for my family, for my friends—for every citizen of our country.
For this high school sophomore, September 11 gave me a purpose and a reason for my life. In the dust and rubble of that immense tragedy, a spirit of survival spread across America, a feeling unprecedented in history since Pearl Harbor, in my grandparents’ generation.
The September 11 attacks were more than an act of war. They were a wake-up call for the entire free world.
We understand that some things are worth fighting for, including the extraordinary life America offers. We care about our fellow citizens, we believe in them, and we take action.
It was with broken hearts and resilient spirits that America took the fight to an evil enemy. We showed the world that our nation was capable of fighting back with justice and that we were willing to fight for America’s freedom and defend our nation.
We came together and rediscovered patriotism where it had been forgotten. We rediscovered pride in ourselves and our differences – we understood that our diversity is our strength – where ignorance and fear had perhaps lived for too long.
Hailing from a small town in Georgia, I raised my right hand and proudly joined the Marines, where I learned to love Americans of all races, religions, and upbringings. Whether we were Republicans or Democrats, from big cities or small towns, from different regions, different races, rich or poor, none of that mattered. We were all Americans, simply and honestly.
The people of the United States were truly united – and none more so than those of us who volunteered to serve in uniform to defend the country we love.
Sadly, we have lost that unity in recent years, focusing too often on what divides us rather than the many things that unite us. But the flame of unity and patriotism still burns and remains a beacon of hope. And I do not believe that tragedy alone can reignite that flame and ignite a burning desire to love and serve.
That is why honoring and remembering those who perished on September 11th must be our goal, our mission. To gather strength and keep alive that flame of unity within each of us to honor and appreciate this entire country and what it represents, and especially those men and women who fight to protect it and keep it as it is.
Our goal, our mission, must be to honor the sad day of September 11, 2001, and to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives. In doing so, we honor and appreciate our country and what it stands for – and most importantly, those brave patriots who fought to protect us and keep us free.
We remember the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. We remember the lives lost in combat.
But I firmly believe that life belongs to the living, and most importantly, when we remember and honor all those who have lost their lives, we remember that we are survivors. We keep that unifying flame alive, lighting the torch of freedom, heirs to all the patriots who came before us, preserving the American dream and allowing it to come to life.
We understand that some things are worth fighting for, including the extraordinary life America offers. We care about our fellow citizens, we believe in them, and we take action.
When I remember 9/11 and the life-changing injuries I suffered as a Marine in Afghanistan, I tell myself one thing: “Get up, get through it, and keep going.” I know we are all knocked down, but I have chosen to be among those who come back stronger and more determined than ever. Just like this resilient country.
When history records the story of my generation that grew up after September 11, 2001, I believe it will be a story of success. A story of victory in the face of certain and harmful adversity. Like every generation, we were tested by hardship and tragedy. And we triumphed.
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On the 18th anniversary of 9/11, we turn a special page: that of a generation that has lived through an unimaginable tragedy, one that is rising from its ashes. This generation is not consumed by the resentment of having witnessed a horrific tragedy, but rather embodies the resilience of having survived that tragedy.
Every American alive on 9/11 is now an adult, with a vote and a voice in deciding what our country will become. From the rubble of defeat, 9/11 is now a coming-of-age story for the next generation of leaders, doers, and change agents we need to ensure that America and its ideals will endure forever.
As a combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the years following the attacks of 9/11, I am proud to pass this torch to the post-9/11 generation.
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Perhaps for the first time since that solemn moment when the Twin Towers fell, we can call this day a celebration – a celebration of resilience and the ideals of “liberty and justice for all” that we honor with the Pledge of Allegiance.
America is a country worth fighting for, which is why we fought an enemy abroad. Let us hope that in the years to come, we will spend less time fighting each other and more time partnering with the greatest country in the world. Let us be Americans first and support each other with pride, patriotism, and love.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHNNY “JOEY” JONES
