| Thoughts
of 'The Greatest Generation' |
| On Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001, I flew United into Boston's
Logan Airport. The flight was uneventful. Three days later,
on Tuesday, Sept. 11, I phoned to confirm my return reservation
to Dulles. |
| I was told to expect a slight delay because two planes had
collided over New York. The reservation clerk and I assumed
they had accidentally struck each other. How wrong we were. |
| For the next three days, other hotel guests and I were stranded
in Amesbury, Mass. We watched television transfixed as the
catastrophic events of Sept. 11 unfolded. Somehow, my wife
back in Reston managed to get through to Amtrak and I was
able to return home after a three-hour drive (only 35 miles)
to Boston's South Station. |
| The train ride to Union Station was unusual. Everyone, strangers
all, turned to their neighbors to talk about the terrorist
attacks and the horror it brought to thousands of innocent
people. Just as in a movie, the train was halted in New Haven
because of a bomb scare at Penn Station. It then proceeded
to Washington without further incident. It's interesting to
note that our railroads have absolutely no security check
of passengers or baggage. I'm certain that will be changing. |
| One thing about a 10-hour train ride: It gives you a lot
of time to think and reflect on events. As the train sped
along, I kept going back in my mind to a date etched in memory:
Dec. 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor was bombed and the United States
entered World War II. |
| Now, 60 years after President Roosevelt denounced that sneak
attack against America, we were again shocked by a villainous
assault. By all accounts, the death toll and destruction of
this latest offensive are much, much more severe than occurred
in 1941. |
| And so, once more, our nation, "The Land of the Free and
the Home of the Brave," will forever be changed. |
| To gain a perspective on how the events of Sept. 11 will
affect the United States and the world, I turned to "The Greatest
Generation," as Tom Brokaw, in his book of the same title,
called the men and women who went through the Depression of
the 1930s, fought World War II battles in the 1940s, and helped
build the dynamic world of today. |
| I belong to a monthly luncheon group that is a microcosm
of this period. We vary in age from 60 to 80-something. Some
of us served in the military while others were too young.
Some retired from government jobs and others had worked for
private enterprise. All are long-time Restonians with grandchildren.
|
| So, join our discussion and say hello to Dick Benjamin,
Ed Glick, Ed Mentz, Ken Ruttenberg and Herb Stiebel. In order
to simplify reporting, I'll summarize their comments. |
| |
| Question: Is Sept. 11, 2001, deja vu? |
| Ed Glick: There's no question that the bombings of Pearl
Harbor, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were nefarious
acts, but the latter could have been prevented if federal
intelligence agencies had been doing their jobs. I'm angry
at the bureaucrats who're still fighting among themselves
and failing to move into the modern-day world of espionage. |
| Ed Mentz: I disagree. At Pearl Harbor, we knew who the enemy
was and what country we were at war with. Today, we don't
have a face or name and don't know who they are. They could
even be hiding among us. |
| |
| Question: Are the people behind President Bush as they
were under FDR, and what should be done now? |
| Ken Ruttenberg: I'm appalled by events. They're talking
a lot but there's no action yet. I hope we take action soon. |
| Ed Mentz: The horse is out of the barn now but sneak attacks
can be stopped if we adopt El Al Airline's strict security
procedures. |
| Herb Stiebel: Today's situation is much more complicated
than in 1941 because of the involvement of oil-rich nations
and fear of antagonizing them. |
| |
| Question: How will life be changed for Americans? |
| Ed Mentz: My life won't be affected directly, but we're
in for a very long period of severe economic repercussions.
People will be afraid to fly. |
| Ed Glick: The World Trade Center towers were the symbols
of American capitalism and now the system is being challenged.
Government aid can become corporate socialism. Bailouts can
become addictive. |
| Dick Benjamin: I disagree. I'm a Democrat but am happy that
a Republican administration sees the need to help save the
airlines and other sectors essential to our economy. |
| Herb Stiebel: There's a big difference between the economic
impact in 1941 and today. Back then, relatively few individuals
were involved in the stock market. There weren't any mutual
funds then. Today a large portion of our population is in
the stock market and the ripple effects will be widespread.
It'll be a long time before American's confidence will be
restored. |
| Ed Glick: This has been a horrible tragedy but it'll pass
in two weeks except for those people directly affected. We
have short memories. |
| Ken Ruttenberg: I'll still fly and show the terrorists they
can't disrupt my life. |
| |
| Question: What will you tell your grandchildren? |
| Ed Mentz: The U.S. is the greatest country in the world.
Don't be intimidated by evil. Go on with your lives. |
| Ed Glick: My grandson is about to be married. I'll tell
him to go on with his life. |
| Ken Ruttenberg: The events unfolding in the next few months
will determine what I tell my grandchildren. |
| |
| The day after our luncheon, President Bush addressed our
nation and the world to declare a global war against terrorists
and their supporters. History will record the results but
one thing is certain: all of our lives, young and old, will
be changed and the world will never be the same. Our home
front has become the battlefront. |
| A final note in tribute to the unwavering bravery and honor
of the firefighters, police and volunteers who put aside their
own lives to enter the inferno of the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon to save others. I mourn with the rest of the
nation for them and their families. |
| The "Greatest Generation" is fading away, but its legacy
remains intact and strong. This has been a horrendous wake-up
call, but I have no doubt that our homeland and the world
will survive in the hands of the next "Greatest Generation." |
