EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS COMMENTARY FROM REPRESENTATIVE VAL PETERSON IS PART OF UTAH POLITICAL UNDERGROUND’S OPINION SERIES REFLECTING ON 9/11’s 20th ANNIVERSARY.

Twenty years ago, I was at a military conference at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  We were off-post when word quickly spread that Post had been locked down and that New York was under attack.  Immediately, Generals flew out, the rest of us stared in disbelief as we watched footage of the airplanes being flown into the World Trade Center and the buildings beginning to collapse.  The scenes of anguish, pain, and terror in people’s faces said it all. America’s freedoms, values, and way of life were under attack. The world watched in disbelief and horror as the death toll mounted.  In the days that followed, I found myself flying home on a military aircraft.  The skies were eerily silent since all commercial aircraft had been grounded.  We were the lone aircraft in the sky.

Subsequently the days and weeks passed, Congress held hearings, and the heroic stories of those who had passed were shared.  The passengers of Flight 93 mounted an assault and the plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.  The Pentagon felt the effects of the attack as 21 service members lost their lives.  President Bush invaded Afghanistan to defeat terrorists.  

I served in the Utah National Guard for 32 years.  I attended my training and meetings, and an amazing and exciting thing began to happen.  New individuals were answering the call to serve.  They would come to monthly drills and be presented to the front of the formation to introduce themselves.  They would tell who they were, and they would explain.  They could not stand idly by and watch America be attacked.  They had to help defend our country, our flag, our families, and our freedoms.  It was inspiring.  People of all ages, walks of life, felt the need, the desire to serve our country to protect the freedoms we enjoy.  Our ranks swelled.   We trained.  We served.  Many of my friends served in Afghanistan and Iraq protecting the freedoms that we enjoy.  A few of my friends made the ultimate sacrifice, something that as a soldier is always in the back of your mind.  Many of my friends returned home and suffered from PTSD. Many received counseling and help, many did not and we all suffered from the pains of losing someone to suicide.  I watched as soldiers took their own lives from the effects of going to war.

We live in the greatest country in the world.  I am proud of my service and the service of my brothers and sisters in arms. I am proud of that generation that responded to the threats to our nation.  There will always be threats to our freedoms and way of life.  It is our responsibility to “Stand United” to defend our nation and provide safety and security to our citizens.   It’s our responsibility to teach and train the next generation to prepare and respond to the threats which will surely come to our nation.  We must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to protect our freedoms and values.