Tuesday marks the eleven year anniversary of 9/11. Many lives have not been the same since that day, including one soldier stationed here at Fort Hood.
It was a day many of us will never forget.
"Today we've had a national tragedy," said President George Bush on September 11, 2001.
American lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
"At first I was kind of in shock and then it turned into anger after a while and it's kind of the reason I'm here today," said SSG Dylan Ryan.
Staff Sergeant Dylan Ryan remembers it well. Living in Long Island,
not far from New York City, he was in seventh grade and in his first
period class. "They put the news on in the classroom I was in, we saw what was
going on. About 30 minutes later they sent us home from school," he said.
Finally, he realized what had happened. "Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent in terrorist attack on our country," said President Bush when he addressed the nation eleven years ago.
Staff Sergeant Ryan had always thought about the Army, but now he had a reason to join. "Once that happened that was pretty much the immediate deciding factor that I was going to do it," he said.
But he would have to wait five years to enlist. He had friends who lost their parents and other family members on that day. Nearly 3,000 American lives were lost. He says what started
as something to better himself turned into a decision to defend those
who could not defend themselves. "Now I kind of feel like it's for them as well, and then to prevent this from happening again," said Staff Sergeant Ryan.
Staff Sergeant Ryan has served for five years now, he's had two tours in Iraq, and plans to stay in the Army.
