President Bush, Roger Clemens & NY Yankees Lifted Up The Free World After 9/11
August 30, 2009 · Patrick Read · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Moral Courage To No End, They Lifted The Free World After They Were Knocked Down
Washington DC
Aug. 30, 2009
Intended for the youth, this is a true story about 9/11, the New York Yankees and how a free world showed its courage through the Great American Past-Time.
Some may not remember what happened on 9/11—perhaps you were too young and have only heard tid-bits of information. Allow me to share with you a true story about 9/11 and how President Bush, baseball, and Roger Clemens came to lift the spirit of those living in the land of the free.
I was working at Cape Canaveral Air Station in 2001, next door to The Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Space Shuttle lifts off from and rockets shoot into outer space.
I know the power that launches a rocket, a power sometimes confused with something unnatural or fake. The power is not artificial. Rather. it comes right from this earth, not some laboratory from a science fiction novel.
I was a turnover technician working for a company that was building and starting up a launch pad for Boeing, which manufactures of aircraft for sky and space. Boeing had built the world’s largest-ever rocket, called the Delta IV.
I was a little overwhelmed about having such a important job but focused on just doing my best everyday and working hard. I said my prayers every night and asked God to help those in need. Sometimes people can’t help themselves or they get lost; they are the ones I was taught to pray for, never for myself.
I was going through my normal daily routine at the office on Sept. 11. It involved a lot of flipping through innumerable pages of science data, following up with the builders, calling Boeing to make sure that each system was “set for go” and that they approved of what the builders had constructed.
I was sitting in the back right of my group’s desk arrangement when all of the sudden the phone rang. Thinking it was Boeing—who I was about to call—I picked up the phone and got the biggest shock of my life.
It was my supervisor, calling from his cell phone on his way to work.
“Pat, a small passenger plane just went into the World Trade Center in New York City!”
His voice was shaky, and it was clear he was very upset.
He knew I also had a background in Air Traffic Control from serving in the U.S. Air Force. I was like a traffic cop for planes in the sky.
At first I didn’t believe it.
“No way,” I reacted, “Passenger jets can’t fly that low over heavily populated areas in the country. There must be a mistake.”
I told him it must have been something else.
“Oh no!” he shouted, “Another one just hit the other tower!”
I heard the crash on his radio in the background and knew it was not an accident. I left our field engineer trailer and rushed over to the safety trailer.
We used a lot of trailers when building big things because they are temporary and easy to dispose of when the job is done.
Rushing inside, there it was in full living color on TV. Two large passenger jets crashing into the World Trade Center Towers, one after the other.
My partner, the field engineer from Boeing, looked at me. I simply shook my head with a tear in my eye.
“That was no accident and those buildings are going down,” I said, barely in control.
His hands flew to his forehad. “We have people in there!” he cried.
“I know,” I replied, gasping for air. “I am a New Yorker and have people in there, too.”
It was so hard to believe that a bad guy would actually fly a large jet into a building, let alone three. It was hard to believe that one jet would later be taken back under control by heroic Americans, ultimately resulting in the plane being crashed in a remote area where no one else could be injured.
In New York City, the planes hit and flew into the “twin towers,” named the “World Trade Center.” One might say it was an economic attack meant for the whole world, using America as its stage to spread its terror.
America has nothing to apologize for, President Obama. They hit us, not the other way around. White as snow, America and President Bush did right and will continue the fight to emancipate all.
Like society, we blame the drunk driver for taking innocent human life and not the one who gets injured, left behind or taken from us before his time—it is that simple.
CCAFS closed down for a long time after that attack, and I sat glued to the TV watching on in disbelief. The military blood in my veins boiled, and my emotions ranged from complete despair back to anger. This happened every single day. To this day I weep when thinking about what I saw on those fateful days of Sept. 11, 2001.
The Aftermath
What pulled the country up form that dark depression, that utter sense of helplessness, hopelessness and anger?
For me, it was the American pastime. It was baseball. Does the MLB still remember? I think they do, but can’t tell for sure because sometimes they act too politically cute for me. They pick and chose winners and losers themselves, instead of letting the play on the field do the talking.
It was President Bush who did the talking for all of us after 9/11. While standing in the rubble of Ground Zero and shouting to the construction workers, ironworker, the police and firefighter—the country and whole free world listened up.
“The people that knocked over these buildings will hear all of us soon!”
A thunderous applause erupted and ALL of Congress (even Nancy Pelosi) voted and passed a declaration of war against all terror.
I will not forget, it smolders in my soul like the rubble at ground zero did for more than a year.
“Go get em, George!”
“The nation sends its love.”
“God Bless America!”
“USA—USA—USA!”
This is the type of courage that lifted us all as one nation under God again. We should never forget that all together we stood united, we stood for justice, for peace, and for those who couldn’t stand at all.
Those people who knocked down the buildings are called terrorists—not just Al Qaeda, though some try to change that fact in order to serve their own selfish means to a self serving end.
It is called, “War against Terror,” not a war against Al Qaeda. and it is especially focused, but not limited to, the same Muslim extremism that has had this country under attack for more than fifty years.
For some reason that part of our history is not taught in school. Maybe the teachers are only serving their so-called “union,” whch gives money to one political party to win. Maybe that is their only objective—say anything to win. In the end, the truth will always prevail.
The word “union” is a bad one to use for anyone claiming to be independent. It’s also the name of the army that freed all people and was not selfish. The great Union Army of the Civil War freed all—even Irish Catholics who were brought here in shackles too. They were Republicans, fought the slave owners and won.
I can say that those terrorists definitely heard all of us and hope has been spreading throughout the Middle East ever since. Our “reconstruction effort” is going just fine, “Mr. Doberman, Count that down, MSNBC.”
What lifted us as a nation again? It was the courage of Bud Selig, who suspended baseball after the attack on us, then said “play ball!”
It was a man named Jack Buck who courageously stood on a baseball field and addressed the whole world, saying. “We are blessed and have rushed to help other nations; anything, anytime, anywhere…War is not our nature… we won’t start, but will end the fight and will protect what’s right…We have no choice…and as our father’s did before, we shall win this unwanted war.”
I do it no justice, the fans did much better.
This is the type of courage that “sends a chill up my leg,” said Chris Mathews of MSNBC—and the 21 gun salute didn’t hurt either.
So, it was “play ball” and teach us all simply about having moral courage—like our fathers did and their fathers did and so on through our great country’s history (though not taught anymore).
We can fight it out on a field any given game and watch like they did the Civil War, where men displayed courage to do the right thing.
It was President Bush who pulled us up when he flew to Yankee Stadium. We all sat in fear for his safety, together as one.
Ole George stood up, stood tall and walked out to the mound after having received advice from another great American, the modern-day Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, who said “Throw from the pitcher’s mound and don’t bounce it,” he smiled. “They’ll boo ya.”
Good ole “Joltin’ Jeter” has a lot of character and knows how to keep people loose when the big pressure is on. Thanks for that, Jete.
Our president, with us united behind him as one, walked tall and proud out to that mound. He glanced at the guest mound and shook it off without hesitation. He toed the professional rubber and gave the crowd a thumbs-up sign—who responded as loud as I’ve ever heard any stadium—and he threw a fastball for a strike.
The whole world saw it and it defined what courage is all about.
The man who put the whole country on his shoulder wasn’t wearing a flak-jacket that day. He had nothing on but a pinstriped uniform. He was a gritty, aging bull-dog from Texas.
Two Texans, neither to be messed with on that day, stood up for this country and some in this country would eventually put them down. We forgive them for it too. Sometimes neighbors do stupid things to only help themselves, don’t they?
We all wondered if someone would take a shot or something bad would happen to Roger Clemens, yet there he stood in the wide open field of play, before a maxed-out stadium filled with 55,820 weary fans and an entire planet looking on.
He stood, tall, proud and resilient—a display of courage for us all to remember.
Roger Clemens threw for seven innings, allowing only three hits and one earned run. He even picked off Craig Counsel, the Diamondbacks’ speedy second baseman who thought he might get a lead on New York and on Clemens. He was wrong.
Clemens threw for all of us that day. He gutted out 109 pitches and 68 were strikes. He walked three and struck out nine. He provided his own bridge to Mo and didn’t need any federal money to do it!
The game took place on Oct. 30, a night game with field conditions “unknown.” A game filled with emotion seen in every fan’s eyes: tears, turmoil, pain, sweat, relief, and absolute joy.
The Yankees won that game for the world and did it with the help of itds loyal market watching on.
A lot has happened since that day, and both Texans came under an attack from within this country. I remember the day that we got divided as Nancy Pelosi stood on the House floor in 2003 and proclaimed Bush as evil.
I thought I would take the time to remind you of some historical fact—not taught in school for some reason, but taught during the tribulation of life and recorded for those interested in truth.
I’m not sure where George is, but I know he took a bad beating in the press while others were looking for “what’s theirs.” He took that beating so much he has yet to defend himself properly. His courage and resolve have been shaken.
I do know what has happened to Clemens though. I’ve paid attention over the years. He has maintained his resolve and is still resilient. Part 1. Part 2. Those two articles are as complete as you will find anywhere.
Clemens ain’t hiding from anyone. He never has either. Has he made some simple mistakes in life? Yes, and so have you. Did his life become unmanageable at some different stages? Yes, especially via ESPN and the Daily News docudrama. Does he help others still to this very day? Check out his foundation.
Go say hello and pay some respect to him. He carried our country, nay the entire “free” world on his shoulders one magical day in October—where two Texans took the mound—one without a flak-jacket.
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