After 9/11, drawn to serve in the war on terror

Name: Linda Sedillo
Age: 49
Hometown: Richmond, Va.

My youngest son was a 9th grader on 9/11. His patriotism runs very close to the surface and I remember wanting to go and take him out of school that morning just so I could hug him. Instead, I chose to let him be with his friends and spent my day comforting coworkers.

At the end of that day, I pulled into the driveway to find my son waiting with HIS arms open to give me the same hug I wanted to deliver to him earlier in the day.

Because of 9/11, I'm now waiting for that same son to come home for a visit before he is deployed. The events of 9/11 strongly contributed to his decision to join the U.S. Army.

That day, along with his patriotism and desire to set a strong example for his nephew, set the stage for the events that will shape the rest of our family's lives. I no longer wait to do those things that I said I would make time for later - photography, visiting places with my husband, spending quality time with my older son and grandson.

The events of 9/11 have made me work harder at finding more personal balance in my life. While my job is still important, I find myself working harder at being a good family member and neighbor. I take better care of myself and have made more time to care for the world around me.

At this point, all I can do is take heart in the fact that the Army has given my son excellent training and that he will deliver the results they are counting on.

In the meantime, I'll plan on waiting in the driveway with my arms open....

***

Name: Capt. John Michael Morris
Age: 27
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas

When 9/11 happened I was a 22-year-old registered nurse. I was watching CNN while it was occurring, and I remember seeing that 2nd plane circling in the distance, slowly closing in, and then colliding with the tower.

My life plan up until that point only aspired to the party lifestyle. The effect of 9/11 really didn't sink in immediately. Over the next two years as America went to war and our young soldiers died, I began to question how much I was willing to sacrifice for a way of life that I enjoyed so much, and how much others had sacrificed without even being asked to.

I quit a lucrative private-nursing job and joined the Air Force as an ER nurse. I took a $40,000 pay cut and moved to San Antonio.

My first tour was spent in Balad, Iraq. We saw thousands of traumas, and were the main casualty collection point during the battle for Fallujah. We were mortared daily and I spent day after day staring at young men who were mangled and burned beyond comprehension, but just kept asking "how's my buddy?" or "when can I get back out to the field?" It makes a lasting impression upon you.

Now I am serving a tour here in Baghdad, and I have realized that what led me to this point is this: 3,000 people were murdered on 9/11. And scores of the nation’s young men and women left their lives behind to sacrifice so much to secure and protect the country that they love. More than I have sacrificed. Namely, that I could not in good conscience continue to take advantage of a way of life that so many have sacrificed their own lives to preserve.

So my career and life aspirations are to now watch over the men and women under my command and to give the dying, wounded and sick service members the finest nursing care that I can.

***

Name: Sherri Kilian
Age: 41
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.

When I met my husband, he was a lieutenant in the Navy. When we got engaged, he decided to leave the Navy so that he would not be an absentee father to our future children. His dad was active-duty Navy as he was growing up and was always gone.

After 9/11, my husband immediately went into the Navy Reserves. He felt very strongly about defending our country and standing up to terrorism.

Our daughter was born in November of 2004 and shortly after her birth, my husband was deployed to Iraq. He returned when my daughter was 11 months old. Three and a half months after his homecoming, we got the call he was deployed to Afghanistan for one year.

My daughter is now 19 months old and my husband has been gone over half of her short life. A minor sacrifice by comparison. We are very blessed not to have been directly affected by 9/11. We didn't lose any of our loved ones.

I am extremely proud of my husband and his patriotism. He is paying homage to the memories of those who perished on 9/11 and its aftermath. The victims of 9/11 will never be forgotten and we should never forget the hard lessons learned on that day.

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