| Dear John,
I can still remember my first view of that gray ash cloud that loomed over lower Manhattan when I first stepped outside and looked south that morning; it hung there for weeks. It is now the 24th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Once again I want to ask Americans to take a moment and honor the memories of those we should never forget.
While I spent the morning and afternoon with my National Guard unit helping prepare and organize, by late evening I was at ground zero helping secure the area from civilians for their safety and the efficiency of rescue and recovery operations.
I lost several friends that morning. America lost more. Not only did we lose almost 3,000 individuals, we lost our post-Cold War sense of security. While terror had touched Americans oversees, an attack here at home seemed unprecedented.
Despite the immediate unity in the days that followed, it now seems sometimes like we also lost our national unity. I’ve been open about the effects September 11, 2001, had on my life. How I was emotionally impacted there. How I experienced the Global War on Terror through deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and numerous homeland security missions.
I’ve talked about how those experiences further impacted my life through the deaths of comrades and suicides at home. I also gained hundreds of brothers and sisters through my military service and my work at Concerned Veterans for America.
I’ve also shared how my journey through the post-September 11 world reshaped my approach to foreign policy.
At CVA over the last decade, I’ve been privileged to work with dozens of veterans who served in various theaters of this long war. Many of them were inspired to serve because of what they experienced as young Americans that day.
September 11 united Americans in grief and anger in 2001. Today, its deep impact on the collective national consciousness is immeasurable. From the leaders we’ve selected, to the way we conduct foreign and domestic policies, no aspect of American life has gone untouched. Those of us who lived through it will always remember that. I humbly ask on behalf of all Americans that some time this week you dedicate a few moments of silence, to remember and mourn those who died that day, to honor those who’ve died through their service since then, and to reflect on the continuing impact that day has on everything we do as Americans still. | 
