David G. Wallace

Uniting As A Nation

Last month I had the pleasure of traveling to New York with The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and met with Secretary Michael Chertoff and Mayor Michael Bloomberg to discuss the war on terror and tour what will be the World Trade Center Memorial. This was a great honor, as well as a sobering experience, because I had the opportunity to visit with survivors from 9/11 and hear their stories that really touched my heart.

I was recently sworn in as a member of the DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC), and I must admit, being involved with Homeland Security is more than just a job. The HSAC has offered an amazing opportunity to be involved in creating DHS policy, and to also be involved with people who have had their lives changed forever by the events of that day. Walking through the World Trade Center Site reminded me that this is a war against us … a war that we did not start.

As I was talking with Secretary Chertoff, the war on terrorism became very real to me. We must all be reminded that this is not a war similar to prior wars, whereby once the troops come home, the bloodshed will stop. There is nothing further from the truth in our current war against terror. We must be ever vigilant in our efforts to defend this country, as the enemy … the terrorist … will continue to set their sites on U.S. assets and attempt to inflict their pain. It is for this reason … the desire to help protect and defend our citizens … that I, and all of the DHS employees, work so diligently to be one step ahead of the “bad guys.”

During my visit to “ground zero,” I had a chance to meet with people who were first responders on 9/11. Henry Rivera, an employee of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was one of the many who had a personal experience on that day.

When I met Henry Rivera, a 9/11 survivor, I was moved by his story. Not only was he in the ground floor of Tower One, but he witnessed the high emotions that accompanied that day. Henry was on the first floor along with a battalion of 20 fire fighters. As he continued to tell his story, the pain filled his face as he started to describe how people were jumping out of the buildings and debris fell to the ground. Out of the 20 men in the ground floor of the building, only Mr. Rivera and one other man survived.

Henry continued to describe how this was the first time that he has actually encountered what he called “true fear.” As the tower began to come tumbling down, Henry said that he was knocked to the ground and the terror and fear was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Yet as he lay in a fetal position on the ground, Henry said a sense of peace and calm came over him. A feeling that he can only attribute to “God’s hand covering his body.”

As I listened to his story I couldn’t help but be reminded of my own personal near death experience when I drowned in a swimming pool. I could relate to him as he described his family and community uniting together. I could relate as he described his family being so full of love. I could relate as he described the lack of sleep due to the thought of everyone’s prayers weighing heavily on his mind. I could relate how he truly began to cherish life itself, and to understand that it is truly a gift … something that must be lived to the fullest. I will never forget how my family and the Sugar Land community united together in strength and prayer for me. And this strength and prayer is exactly what my new friend Henry witnessed on 9/11, and it still continues to this day.

While touring the World Trade Center Site I had a chance to be reminded of what devastation had been done on 9/11, yet I also had the opportunity to see what is to come in the future. It makes me so proud of the human spirit to know that my friend Henry … a man that was almost destroyed physically and emotionally in the tower’s collapse … is so very proud to be involved in the overall construction of the World Trade Center Memorial. Even though we, as a nation, shared in the pain of 9-11, it is encouraging to see that our nation is moving forward in an effort to mend the emotional and physical wounds from that day.

As we prepare for our Nation’s Independence Day, let us never forget all of the Patriots that have gone before us in an effort to promote liberty, peace and democracy throughout the world. In an effort to preserve the memory of the lives lost on 9-11, the new World Trade Center Memorial is being constructed and will consist of two waterfall voids, on the footprint of where the towers once stood. On the remaining 8-acres will stand additional office buildings, but most importantly, will be the Freedom Tower. This edifice will be a constant reminder that we are moving forward as a nation … a nation that is completely united … as one nation under God.