The 9-11 Memorial today on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College: 2,936 flags in the center of the campus to honor the victims.
Today at 8:45 a.m. I was walking into Russian class, just at the moment 14 years ago when America was attacked by terrorists. When I left the class I looked north and saw the quad filled with flags: 2,936 flags, one for each victim of the attack.
As memorials go, I far prefer these to the endless pictures and videos of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center. The flags honor the victims. The burning towers glorify in a perverse way the attack and cowards who kill innocent victims.
Another way of marking the day is to tell the stories of those who stepped up to defend America after the attack. My favorite story is part of this New York Times article. It is about my former commander Joel Allmandinger and what he did in the wake of the attack on America. They are all good stories.
