Forever mourning loved ones lost in the attacks

Name: Anita LaFond Korsonsky
Age: 58
Hometown: Livingston, N.J.

My only sibling, Jeanette LaFond Menichino, was killed on Sept. 11. She worked for Marsh McLennan on the 94th floor of Tower 1. My life began and ended on that day.

My relationship to my beautiful sister, Jeanette, was ended on that morning, and can never be recovered. I had to learn to live without her and to relate differently to the world around me. I had to learn to live differently on the day she died. I am forever branded as the family member of a 9/11 victim - even if I am reminded of pleasant memories of our childhood and adult life, I must always end it with her death.

I believe that for many of those left without their loved ones from that day, that the changes in our lives are tiny, little things everyday - and only those living through this can understand how it changes you forever and will be with you forever, and that no matter how well you are able to function, there is a sadness in your heart that you carry with you everyday. It is only through the kindness of others that you are able to face each day.

I still don't really understand the reasons why this was done to us on what began as a beautiful morning on Sept. 11 and ended with the death of so many.

***

Name: Dusty Roach
Age: 53
Hometown: Midland, Texas

Being from Midland, Texas, where George W. grew up, I was different from most in the sense that I was and am a registered Republican. The morning of 9/11 I was in shock and awe. I was watching the coverage of the first plane in the tower when I saw live on TV the second one hit. All day I was enraged, saddened and in disbelief.

Fast forward a bit in time and everyone was buying how Afghanistan and Iraq were responsible and had weapons of mass destruction. I also bought in yet was not hasty to go to war until we enlisted more support from the world community. I felt very strong that George had not exhausted every resource to convince the world to help. He then did the invasion thing.

My daughter married a soldier, who had served in Kosovo, Afghanistan and was getting ready to go Iraq on his second tour. My daughter and Brian K. Baker had found out that my daughter was pregnant with twins right before he was to be deployed. After he went, that July they found out that it would be twin girls. They were due around December 30^th. My daughter and son in law planned for him to come home in the end of December.

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On November 7th, 2004 Sunday at 1800 hours, a casualty affairs officer and chaplain rang our doorbell. My daughter opened the door, and fell to her knees. She kept crying, Daddy fix this, Daddy fix this. With all that I have ever done and fixed, I couldn't fix this one. My son in law KIA in Baghdad, was and is a hero. My beautiful twin granddaughters are heroes. My daughter is a hero.

I can honestly say, time does not heal. It just provides distraction. The hurt today is just as bad as it was on Nov. 7th. I know the hurt is felt by the families of approximately 2,600 families. I know it is for the thousands of soldiers who have been wounded. I know the same pain for the families of 9/11 is just as bad now as it was five years ago.

I am angered by people who have strong opinions of the war, for or against, who have not lost anything and presume to know the sacrifice. I fault Al Qaida, I hold Bush responsible, and we need to finish the job. War is truly hell, and I know Justice rides a slow horse, but he still rides. All who have it coming, will get it, however you want to interpret that. God bless America.

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