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patriots lost in many attacks
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Rhondall Crow, a friend, was doing some renovating on my home. I happened to be watching Fox News when the first airliner struck a World Trade Tower. I yelled for him and Florine, my wife, to come see. As we watched, another plane dove into the second tower. Soon another liner plunged into the Pentagon. Nearly 3,000 American patriots and other nations’ citizens died without a chance to fight back, except for the passengers on a fourth airliner who rose against their suicidal Islamic captors, resulting in the crash of the plane in Somerset County, Pa., killing all aboard. Later we heard Osama bin Laden and al-Quaeda was responsible. We realized that our world had changed forever. Let us always honor our slain patriots.
A show of patriotism and unity was apparent for a while, with flags flying from homes and vehicles. Soon, after a day-long diet of news and no quick end to the violence and killing in Afghanistan and later in Iraq, politics became more divisive and negative. Many flags disappeared from public view. Some citizens seemed to think America’s actions caused the violence and could not see a larger war long under way. A lot of us thought a war began on 9-11-01, but actually the war against America had been going on for many years.
In 1983, in Lebanon, 220 American Marines, 18 Navy and two Army personnel died when a truck driven by Islamic terrorists exploded after it plowed into their barracks. Don’t forget these patriots! Another bomb also killed 58 French paratroopers in another barracks. More than one terrorist group claimed the honor, but Hezbollah was the main cause, according to the US government. Remember the recent attack upon Israel from Lebanon. It was Hezbollah shedding innocent blood as usual, with funds, weapons and directions coming from Iran and Syria.
It was May 17, 1987 when the USS Stark (guided missile frigate) in the Persian Gulf was struck by two missiles fired from an Iraqi jet. The result was 17 American sailors killed and 39 wounded. All were patriots, worthy of our remembrance.
On Sept. 1, 1992, a car bomb went off in the garage under Tower One of the World Trade Center in New York. Six innocent citizens were killed and 1,000 wounded. This was a forerunner of the big attack on 9-11-01. A fanatical Islamist, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef of Pakistan, masterminded this mayhem and other attacks around the world. He is al-Qaeda also.
Hezbollah engineered a car bombing of a barracks called Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia containing US Air Force personnel. This Shia Islamist group has a secretary-general called Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The bomb killed 19 USAF personnel and one Saudi citizen, while wounding 372 people of various nationalities.
Note how many of our patriots were being killed or wounded before 9-11-01. The war was raging for years and America seemed to be asleep.
A big killing occurred on Aug. 7, 1998, when Islamic terrorists bombed two American Embassies, one in Nairobi, Kenya, and the
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Remember the USS Cole? On Oct. 12, 2000, this US missile destroyer was peacefully at anchor in the harbor at Aden, Yemen. Two al-Qaeda terrorists sacrificed themselves while killing 17 sailors and wounding 39. Thus more of our patriots died while serving their country.
I think of many patriots killed or wounded in the fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places. Our enemies have often sworn to destroy us, our freedom and our way of life. They offer a choice, either death or become a devoted member of the extreme brand of Islamic religion. The aim of militant Islamists is world dominion.
Patriot Day, September 11, was established to remember and honor those who died on 9-11-2001 and during many other sneak attacks. To endure and overcome in times of great trouble, disasters and wars, a people need faith in God, country and one another. We need to unite to defend home, family and neighborhood, and support our Armed Forces personnel. We must defend our Constitution, Bill of Rights, our faith and our nation. By sharing hope, strength and courage we can withstand and overcome the attacks of fanatical, despotic and ruthless enemies sworn to kill us. Today America needs patriots!