On the morning of September 11th, 2001, I was 17 years old. As I was getting ready for school my father came downstairs to my room and with a serious face said “you need to come watch at this”. I knew it was something major, as it was uncharacteristic for us to watch TV in the mornings since we were always short on time. I remember getting dressed in the living room as I gaped at the TV watching smoke pour from the towers. My dad and I left the house and listened to the news on the radio on the way to school. I remember hearing the towers falling as we drove in traffic.Once at school I ended up watching the news all day in every class.

It was the news coverage in the days preceding this event, and the ensuing revelation of who was behind this terrorist act, that caused me to want to join the Marine Corp. I did not know of a better way to make a difference in defending our country from these heinous acts than to join the Military.