CLEMSON, S.C. - In commemoration of the 10 year anniversary of Sept. 11, the website www.911day.org is encouraging citizens to give back service to their community in honor of those who gave their lives serving others that day. In addition to the police and firefighters who put their duty above all else, ordinary people became extraordinary heroes. As the anniversary approached, I wondered what I could do to give back. I hadn’t realized that my service had been 10 years in the making.

In September 2001, I was 19 and slowly adjusting to life as a freshman at Clemson University. On the morning of the eleventh, after my 8 a.m. class and trip to the library, I overheard students murmuring about planes flying into the towers in New York. It seemed like the making of a horrible plot in a video game. It wasn’t until I arrived in the classroom, when the instructor made the announcement that the twin towers had fallen, the Pentagon had been attacked, and a fourth plane had crashed somewhere outside Pittsburgh, that I understood. My sister was in Pittsburgh and I had friends and family in New York. I sat anxiously through class, frequently checking my watch, until the instructor dismissed us. I rushed across campus, dropped my bag on the dorm room floor and turned on my roommate’s TV. For the rest of the day I sat on my bed, 12 hours away from home, soaking in the images – wondering how something like this could happen to my country.

In August, I had joined the writing staff at The Tiger newspaper on campus. Although I was a freshman and had never written for them, the editor assigned me the 9/11 memorial service story. On Sept. 15, I attended the memorial on the field of Death Valley stadium with more than 5,000 students, faculty, and community members. I raced over with the rest of the press to hear James Barker, Clemson University President, speak. I scribbled furiously as he gave a statement. I never thought he would call on me, a student, for a question but I was first – all the reporters looked at me. “Why is this memorial ceremony important to the university?” That question began my career as a journalist.

Five years later, I was crammed onto metal bleachers with 160 other sweaty, tired soldiers looking out onto a dusty, sun-baked, large-weapons range. I was halfway through Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, and that morning everyone was strangely quiet. Our first sergeant spoke to us about sacrifice, commitment, dedication and choices – specifically the choice we all made to join the Army during a time of war. My first thought was, “I’m going to be an Army Guard reporter. I’m going to tell the story of those who put their lives on the line every day.” That Christmas, I visited ‘Ground Zero’ in New York. I took the train directly into what was once the basement of the Twin Towers. It was a sobering moment, one that I will never forget, when we emerged from the dark tunnel into the bright, open, expanse that was filled with dump trucks and construction equipment.

I have spent the past five years reporting on soldiers who serve in the South Carolina National Guard. The most meaningful events I have covered are the ones where our soldiers work in conjunction with local firefighters, police and state emergency response agencies. All of them are experts in their field. All of them are willing to go the distance to serve their communities. They are all willing to give their lives to protect their fellow citizens.
On the weekend of the 10 year anniversary, I found myself back at Clemson University. I was there, on assignment, to cover the annual Military Appreciation football game. Standing in the sea of orange and hearing the cheers of students when service members and first responders took the field was overwhelming. During the playing of ‘Taps’, silence fell over the stadium and I felt connected to every person in attendance.

I remembered the camaraderie that kept the students of Clemson strong after 9/11. The willingness they had to donate blood, collect food and clothes and support charities. I never thought that an event thousands of miles away would have an impact on my life. As I left the stadium and walked past my old dorms, I realized that my personal journey to serve began right there. Today, I have come full circle as a reporter, from my first article covering 9/11 as a student journalist to my job as an Army photojournalist covering its tenth anniversary.

There have been occasions in my life where I have needed the assistance of police, firefighters, and paramedics. At those moments, they were my heroes and a comforting force. I’ve never been able to really thank the people who made those situations bearable. In their honor, this is my promise. I will continue to report on the men and women of the S.C. National Guard, their strong partnership with the local first responder agencies and their commitment to serve their nation. They are always ready to support their country and today, we should take a moment to remember their sacrifice and continue to honor them in the years to come.