6 November 2001:

Today is the 6th of November and I am sitting here thinking of the events of 9-11-01 and 11-04-01 and how they have changed my outlook. On 9-11-01 the United States came under attack by terrorists. Many lives were lost. Lives were lost due to these attacks and America is fighting back. On 9-11-01, terrorists took control of two planes that had left Boston MA, to Los Angeles CA. These two airplanes never made their destination. An American flag, a symbol of the United States was then placed into action. The flag was to be run across this great land of ours. The flag is a symbol for all Americans and only fitting that it should be carried to the final destination of the planes that never made it.

I am proud to say that I got to carry that flag. I will never forget the feeling of pride that I felt as the flag was passed to me. I felt a sense of what we as Americans feel when our country's symbol is placed in your hands. I ran the flag in remembrance of those who were not there to do as I was doing. I will never forget the pride I felt as I ran the flag into my home city, Socorro, NM. To run with old glory as your fellow citizens look on and cheer made so proud. I can always count on the citizens of Socorro to come out and help in any way possible and they were out, living up to the name of our city, Socorro, meaning help.

We ran the flag into our town square and many people got the opportunity to carry the flag and you could see the pride in them also. Myself and four other Socorro police officers then proceeded to Magdalena, NM, in hopes of joining up and carrying the flag further west. We got the opportunity as myself and officers Mark Wheeler and Lawrence Montano ran east on highway 60 from Magdalena and helped run it into Magdalena. We then, along with lt. E.P. Higgs and officer Eddie Padilla ran with the flag west on highway 60 towards the Arizona border. I was proud to run with these fine officers. As each officer was given the opportunity to carry the flag you could see a change in the ways they ran and the pride of what they were doing was noticeable on their faces.

Each one of us felt sadness for those that did not finish this trip and proud to be able to complete this journey in their name. As we were running on highway 60, you could hear our feet pounding on the pavement but you could also hear the pounding of our hearts as we sometimes ran in silence and other time just bursting with pride and wanting everyone to know how we felt. We, each in our own way reflected what this meant to us. We all knew that this was a moment in history that we would share with our children and grandchildren. I looked at these officers

And couldn't help but think of our brothers and sisters in blue that have made that ultimate sacrifice. We all live with the knowledge that there is a price to pay for freedom and the American way and are all willing to do what is necessary to keep America safe. This run gave us all a chance to become part of a special cause, a chance to show that America is strong and its people will bounce back and show the world that we are the greatest country in this land.

God Bless America

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