Vietnam/World Trade Center

I remember the morning of September 11th quite vividly. I was in school and all they told us was that our parents were on their way to come pick us up, and a teacher came and told our teacher that there was an attack on the World Trade Center, and my only concern was for my friend’s mother, who worked in the towers. My father told me everything that happened on the way home. The smoke was a visible and clear sight from my house. When we visited the memorial, I felt somber and solemn, far beyond I expected to feel. I hadn’t lost anyone in the attacks on 9/11, but I felt a pain and connection with fellow New Yorkers. Furthermore, I felt power in the memorial. I felt power and assurance that we will move on from that terrible day and will grow from it. I felt assured that the deaths that took place on this tragic day were respected and the families of the victims can find comfort in that their members have been given a proper memorial/burial site.
Visiting the Vietnam Memorial, I could only think of one word as we were there: forgotten. There were no visitors at the memorial aside from our class and security was nearly nonexistent. Yes, the war was a fairly long time ago but it still took place in the lifetime of most American grandparents today. The positive to be taken from this situation is that we do move on from difficult times. We will get past 9/11 if we have not already done so, and we will grow, to some extent from the events of that tragic day so that history will not repeat itself.