Jordan's Journal
September 11th - Profound Memories 8 years on
Today marks the 8th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in America.
It is sad that after eight years, there is still no permanent memorial to the atrocity. However, I am pleased that both in New York and in London there are memorials to the 67 British victims of the terrorist attacks. I've had the privilage of visiting both sites, and also the temporary exhibition that forms part of the planned National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York. It is no understatement to say that visiting the exhibition had a profound affect on me.
No one can forget where they were at the time of the attacks. For my part, I was 11 days into my first post-college job, working for Ivan Henderson MP. We were on our way to a meeting with our local Primary Care Trust when the first plane struck the World Trade Centre. By the time we left the meeting, the second plane had struck, the first tower had collapsed and the tragedy at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania was underway.
Following the attacks, the NATO-led mission began in Afghanistan. That mission continues today and is important now as it was then. It is a mission based upon national security and regional stability.
I will never forget the shock and horror that I felt when confronted with those images on television, and rightly so. It is up to us all to remember and make sure the memory of the 3,000 victims is never forgotten.