The Year in Review

As 2011 comes to an end it is time for newspapers and magazines to put together lists like the Top 10 News Stories of the year or the Ten Most Interesting People of 2011. TIME recently named its Person of the Year and the winner was The Protester. In its recent December 26th issue TIME also had a short list and one of those was Admiral William McRaven who leads the Navy Seals. It was Admiral McRaven who spoke to President Obama and others in real time as Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan was being taken down by the now famous Navy Seal Team Six. The day after that as America celebrated with a renewed sense of vigor and patriotism I was interviewed by the News Herald. Rachel Jackson, the reporter, asked for my reaction. I spoke to her for a long time and was surprised to find an entire article the next day. I thought I would be one of a handful of folks interviewed. I told Rachel that day in early May that I thought bin Laden's death showed all those soldiers did not die in vain nor did all the brave heroes of 9/11. I went on to say that the families of those heroes were in my thoughts and that there must now be some closure for them. I was wrong. The next day I saw an interview with a 9/11 mom at Ground Zero. She said there was no closure-there never would be. She was not bitter, just stating a fact. So our work continues as it does for the families. 2011 saw the opening of three stunning memorials-in New York City, in Virginia at the Pentagon, and at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA. I have written in earlier blogs about my visits to PA, especially the one on September 10th when my daughter and I were honored to be volunteers in preparing for the moving luminaria ceremony and then the next day when President and Mrs. Obama visited with family members just a few feet from us. Our 8th grade class will again visit D. C. next May and one of their points of interest is the Pentagon Memorial. Individuals aren't much different than news organizations. In winding up a year we look back, reflect, and then make some promises for the next year. I would really like to get to New York City in 2012 and visit the World Trade Center site and the Tribute Museum. I would also like to continue to honor all the 9/11 heroes and their families.