It’s been almost a year, yet I remember like yesterdays’ news the events of 9/11/01.

I live in Wyoming, nearly 3/4 of a nation west of NYC and our nations capitol. That morning was like every work-day morning before. My co-workers and I were in the office of the 18,000 head hog finishing site I supervise. We were preparing to load two trucks with pigs to send to market. We were just walking out the door when the phone wrang, it was my wife.

“Are you listening to the radio?” she asked.

I told her I wasn’t and she went on to explain that someone had just flown a plane into the WTC and the Pentagon.
I kept the trucks waiting by going to the only radio on our site, it’s in our feed truck. I sat and listened in disbelief to the news eminating from the speakers for at least one half hour.

Responsibilitie to my career forced me to leave the trucks’ radio and begin my job.

My crew and I talked awhile with the truck drivers about what was happening, they too did not believe it until one of them turned on the radio in his semi.

We loaded the two trucks as quickly as safety for the animals and ourselves allowed, it still took nearly three hours and was noon by the time we finished.

My managers’ house is only one-quarter mile from the site. As soon as the last pig was loaded and the paperwork was complete, we went there and watched the horror on his television.

Upon actually viewing the events, all thoughts of my responsibility were forgotten and I spent the afternoon “glued” to that T.V.

The people on the set were people I had never met and the places, I had never physically seen, yet as I continued to watch I was filled with greif for these victims and our nation.

I have lived a fairly rough life and don’t cry easily, especially for strangers. But on that day and still to this day, the images, news articles, and memories of Sept. 11 bring the tears. God Bless Us All!!