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ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11
It’s been nine years since planes crashed into our buildings and killed almost three thousand American civilians. Our nation has been through one long war in Iraq and is still struggling with another war in Afghanistan. As much as it seems like the world is in conflict right now, it’s necessary to remember a few things. The people who died in the Twin Towers nine years ago include foreigners as well as Americans…Muslims as well as Jews, Christians, and atheists…immigrants as well as people whose families have been here for centuries. The real conflict occurring in the world at this moment is not between Islam and the West, but between extremists of all stripes and the rest of us who wish to live in peace.
According to the United Nations, roughly two thirds of the civilian casualties in Afghanistan are not caused by NATO forces but by Taliban fighters – their fellow citizens. On the other side of the coin, there are thousands of Westerners in Afghanistan helping bring medical care to civilians, helping build schools and irrigation systems, helping reassemble a country that has been shattered by thirty years of war. That is not war as most people imagine it…that is people from one society risking their lives to help people in another society. War is a terrible thing, but extraordinary acts of courage and generosity happen within it. We must remember that as we commemorate this terrible anniversary.
President Obama has just announced that Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta of the 173rd Airborne will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for acts of heroism in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Tim Hetherington and I spent many months in the Korengal chronicling the deployment of Guinta’s unit. A few months after the battle that cost the lives of three American soldiers, I had the chance to talk to Sal about what happened that night. First Platoon was walking single file down a ridge called the Gatigal Spur, and they stumbled into an L-shaped ambush that had been laid by a dozen or so Taliban fighters. Most of the lead squad was hit and wounded and one man – Sergeant Josh Brennan – was separated from his unit and dragged off alive. Sal Guinta sprinted after them, throwing hand grenades and firing his rifle, and succeeded in rescuing his friend. Tragically, Brennan died of his wounds - but he died surrounded by his brothers in First Platoon, rather than by enemy fighters.
Guinta is widely thought of as an extraordinarily brave man. Ironically, he might be the only person in the country who doesn’t quite agree. “I didn’t run through fire to do anything brave or heroic,” he told me. “I did what I believe anyone would have done.” In that moment Giunta was more worried about his friend’s safety than about his own, and he acted accordingly. As far as he’s concerned, anyone in First Platoon would have done the same thing.
I know it sounds farfetched, but sometimes I like to think about how that impulse would play out on a larger scale. Giunta was willing to risk his life for another person. Could a community do that for another community? Could a country do that for another country? (Some would argue that that’s exactly what happened on D-Day.) Could a religion do that for another religion? I don’t have the answer. I guess we’ll find out. As a country, I don’t think we’ll survive unless our political leaders - on both sides of the aisle - figure out how to think a little more like Sal Guinta and his brothers. As a world, I’m not sure we’ll survive if we decide that one religion or one society is the root of all evil. It’s an old lie and a tired one.
Think about the people who died in those towers nine years ago…imagine what they would have us do, if they could communicate that somehow. I promise you, they would not want us to hate. It was, after all, a stranger’s hatred that had cut short their lives. They would want us to do the exact opposite of the thing that had killed them. On the anniversary of that awful day it is the job of every person in this country to figure out exactly what that might be.
According to the United Nations, roughly two thirds of the civilian casualties in Afghanistan are not caused by NATO forces but by Taliban fighters – their fellow citizens. On the other side of the coin, there are thousands of Westerners in Afghanistan helping bring medical care to civilians, helping build schools and irrigation systems, helping reassemble a country that has been shattered by thirty years of war. That is not war as most people imagine it…that is people from one society risking their lives to help people in another society. War is a terrible thing, but extraordinary acts of courage and generosity happen within it. We must remember that as we commemorate this terrible anniversary.
President Obama has just announced that Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta of the 173rd Airborne will be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for acts of heroism in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. Tim Hetherington and I spent many months in the Korengal chronicling the deployment of Guinta’s unit. A few months after the battle that cost the lives of three American soldiers, I had the chance to talk to Sal about what happened that night. First Platoon was walking single file down a ridge called the Gatigal Spur, and they stumbled into an L-shaped ambush that had been laid by a dozen or so Taliban fighters. Most of the lead squad was hit and wounded and one man – Sergeant Josh Brennan – was separated from his unit and dragged off alive. Sal Guinta sprinted after them, throwing hand grenades and firing his rifle, and succeeded in rescuing his friend. Tragically, Brennan died of his wounds - but he died surrounded by his brothers in First Platoon, rather than by enemy fighters.
Guinta is widely thought of as an extraordinarily brave man. Ironically, he might be the only person in the country who doesn’t quite agree. “I didn’t run through fire to do anything brave or heroic,” he told me. “I did what I believe anyone would have done.” In that moment Giunta was more worried about his friend’s safety than about his own, and he acted accordingly. As far as he’s concerned, anyone in First Platoon would have done the same thing.
I know it sounds farfetched, but sometimes I like to think about how that impulse would play out on a larger scale. Giunta was willing to risk his life for another person. Could a community do that for another community? Could a country do that for another country? (Some would argue that that’s exactly what happened on D-Day.) Could a religion do that for another religion? I don’t have the answer. I guess we’ll find out. As a country, I don’t think we’ll survive unless our political leaders - on both sides of the aisle - figure out how to think a little more like Sal Guinta and his brothers. As a world, I’m not sure we’ll survive if we decide that one religion or one society is the root of all evil. It’s an old lie and a tired one.
Think about the people who died in those towers nine years ago…imagine what they would have us do, if they could communicate that somehow. I promise you, they would not want us to hate. It was, after all, a stranger’s hatred that had cut short their lives. They would want us to do the exact opposite of the thing that had killed them. On the anniversary of that awful day it is the job of every person in this country to figure out exactly what that might be.
Views: 101
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Comment by Carmen Ferreiro on September 18, 2010 at 12:08pm
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Peter, I do not understand why my comments angered you and led to this very unfair criticism of America and this unfortunate exchange. Suffice to say that when I praised our servicemen, firefighter and police officers for defending the American way of life, I did not refer to the commercial aspects of our lifestyle, which includes the use of fossil fuels, and consumption of fast food and sports. I was referring to the fundamental ideals by which our country was founded which guarantee all its citizens: freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness. Fundamental ideals guaranteed by many democratic societies throughout the world including your homeland.
The terrorists that attacked our country on 9/11 hate Americans because of our way of life, our religious beliefs and our allegiance to other nations they also hate. As Sebastian has pointed out, for most of America’s history it has avoided going to war unless we have been attacked or we have been asked by other nations or the UN to involve our troops in foreign wars. When any nation is attacked it has the right to defend its citizens. That is what the US did when it engaged in combat in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and it sought to find the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks on 9/11; who attacked innocent people who only sought to go to work or fly an airplane as part of their everyday life.
Our servicemen will always be my heroes no matter which war they fight. I have visited many cemeteries, including some in Europe, where buried are thousands of American soldiers who gave their life fighting for other countries. Most of them enlisted voluntarily and died fighting to defend others against evil and destructive regimes. It is thanks to them that I can sit safely and use the internet to express my opinions freely as we all have done in this forum. Incidentally, I am not American by birth, I am Cuban and grew up in America and became an American citizen. I spend a great deal of my time helping human rights activists in Cuba who struggle against tyranny. I will forever be grateful to America for offering my family safe refuge, as they have done with many refugees; otherwise my life would have been a bleak one: forced to accept the ideology of a megalomaniac, with no freedom to choose who I can speak to, what I can study, what I can eat, where I can go, and I would have been brainwashed into hating America. God Bless America, because it is the beacon of hope for those oppressed by non-democratic governments with ideologies who have little regard for human life and values.
So, I will say as I did on Sebastian’s post on 9/11, Sergeant Giunta and all those brave Americans who fight to protect our country and other countries of the free world are my heroes.
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Comment by Peter Haberfehlner on September 18, 2010 at 3:37pm -
Sorry, Mr. Masterston, but now you are attacking me!
"bleeding" is not a nice term to use in a forum
against a person.
Why do you attack me as "bleeding liberal"?
I am waiting for your excuse!
Carmen!
I really misunderstood you
sorry for that!
Peter
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Comment by Becca Bryan on September 18, 2010 at 7:22pm -
Mr. Haberfehlner-I don't think that Mr. Masterson was calling you, specifically, a bleeding heart liberal. I believe he was using a term that most far right wing conservatives in the US like to lob at those of who are liberals. ;) Please don't take offense at him. I sure didn't.
SGT Giunta well earned that Medal and is the kind of American we should all strive to be. I think it's damned great that he received it living and breathing and not given to his parents after his death. I always wondered why the military does that.
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Comment by Richard Masterson on September 18, 2010 at 7:48pm -
You sound like one to me Pete.
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Comment by Kevin T. Tanner on September 21, 2010 at 10:07am -
With the crash of a U.S. helicopter and 9 of our soldiers passing away, the news release of this event marks the deadliest year since the U.S. began operations in Afghanistan. This only 10 short days since the anniversary of 9/11. My thoughts and prayers are with not only the service personnel that have passed away or have been wounded but with all of the people who defend us by putting themselves in harms way for our benefit back here at home. I was walking through the airport in Atlanta Ga. yesterday and had the honor of speaking to some of our U.S. Army men and women before they boarded a plane to go back to Afghanistan, having come off leave. I can't say they were excited to go back, but they all spoke in terms of willingness to go back and serve. I left that area to catch my own flight and walked away with an astounding sense of pride and thankfullness, for which I do not have the words to properly discribe. Hey, if you happen to be passing by some of our service men and women, it will be well worth your time to tell them hi and thanks. A quick, "Hello, I appreciate your service to our country" will go a long way with those kids. Even if you don't fully agree with the war, please remember they aren't the ones making the big decisions, but they are the ones that actually defend our freedoms, and VOLUNTEER to do so.
Finally, to Mr. Haberfehlner. We obviously have differing opinions. Be that as it may, I accept your apology and respect you for writing one. Thank you Peter.
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Comment by Becca Bryan on September 21, 2010 at 2:26pm
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Kevin - I totally agree with you. Often when passing in and out of the Atlanta airport, I see soldiers. It gives me great pride in my country when I talk to them hearing their willingness to serve and to serve in dangerous places. And often, I will pick up a restaurant tab for them as a small thank you for keeping me safe.
They are an excellent examples of Americans and I'm proud they are mine.
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Comment by Peter Haberfehlner on September 22, 2010 at 12:26pm
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opinion of Michael Moore- winner of John-Steinbeck award (literary nobel-price) winner
about the Iraq war:
Michael Moore Campaigns to Free Bradley Manning; "To suggest that lives were put in danger by the release of the WikiLeaks documents is the most cynical of statements. Lives were put in danger the night we invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq, an act that had nothing to do with what the Bradley Mannings of this country signed up for: to defend our people from attack. It was a war based on a complete lie and lives were not only put in danger, hundreds of thousands of them were exterminated. For those who organised this massacre to point a finger at Bradley Manning is the ultimate example of Orwellian hypocrisy." – Michael Moore
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Comment by Peter Haberfehlner on September 22, 2010 at 12:29pm
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And that is what Thomas Steinbeck (son of literary nobel-price winner John)
has to say about Michael Moore:
"Michael Moore is a courageous man and a great selection for the
John Steinbeck Award. My father would have loved him;
my father was the Michael Moore of his time."
– Thomas Steinbeck, son of John Steinbeck
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Peter, don't want to get personal but you are beginning to behave like an agent provocateur. The only weapon Michael Moore has held in his life is a camera that he uses to attack his own country. He knows nothing of bravery and valor, and what it means to risk or give your life for your country. He is no literary genius, just someone who prefers to attack American policy and is able to do so on American soil. This week many world leaders, some who hate America, have paraded themselves in the media while at the United Nations, and Americans have allowed them to have their say, and they have been granted protection. Yet, when an American strays into their territory, as is the case with 2 American hikers imprisoned in Iran now, they are not even given due process. Why doesn't Mr. Moore make a film about that? Not likely because the point-of-view isn't anti-American enough. Sadly many have died so that a miscreant such as he can continue to freely expresses himself to the hoards of anti-Americans he appeals too. He is not experienced in military affairs nor does he have any knowledge of military operations to judge their effectiveness; therefore, his comments are irrelevant.
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Comment by Richard Masterson on September 24, 2010 at 11:05pm
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Steinbeck's old man was anti-American walking the fine line of communism.
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