One year later: A call to action

September 11, 2002

William Zemp was in the Pentagon on September 11th when the plane hijacked by terrorists crashed into the building. On the one-year anniversary of those attacks, Zemp was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania -- the keynote speaker for a solemn rememberance. In a stirring call to action, he reminded us all that every person has the opportunity to render service to this nation.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen... thank you for your hospitality and welcome Let us begin by showing special recognition to those who make this freedom possible... our veterans here tonight. It is their presence this evening that highlights the enduring strength demonstrated in the impressive performances of tonight's opening ceremonies.

Major William Zemp (Citadel 1992) is a special assistant in the office of the Army Chief of Staff.

To those who contributed... thank you for sharing the gift of your patriotism. Like that magnificent flag hanging before us, each one of you is a symbol of the power and resolve of our great nation and it is your example that is the spirit of freedom present here tonight. Let's show all those involved and our veterans our appreciation.

I am humbled to be here and in awe every time I visit. For over 100 years, this ground has served as one of our country's most sacred sites -- a symbol of peace and power. Ceremonies in this town and among its citizens are always extraordinarily moving... always about displays of tremendous character and acts of heroism.

See, in the past, when Gettysburg gathered to honor the sons and daughters of our nation, it did so with the distinct reputation of a community qualified to preserve unique acts of bravery that go far beyond comprehension. Gettysburg is one of the keepers of that part our nation's history that allows us to experience sacrifices so profound that we leave feeling somewhat uneasy in the commonness of our own humanity.

One year ago today -- September 11th, 2001-- was no different:

- With only hours notice, hundreds assembled here, at this place, and at services around town.

- The Lutheran Theological Seminary canceled classes that Tuesday and immediately began prayer vigil before the normal worship hour.

- In memory of those affected, Gettysburg school students contributed by celebrating red, white, and blue day throughout the school district dressing in the colors of freedom.

These are only a few examples of the present-day resolve of this community and its understanding of its self-imposed responsibility to conserve our past; of its devotion to the high values it maintains in the present. It is in this carefully created environment that, year after year, draws Americans to walk this ground and find meaning in their own citizenship through the example of ultimate sacrifice.

Today is no different. Tonight, one year after the attacks, united as a nation, we gather to remember and honor the victims of that morning's horrifying events. Americans again have traveled to this community in order to remember... to reflect... and to honor.

Today, America is once again at war, and soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are fighting for perhaps the first time in 60 years, directly on behalf of the American people. Our unified presence here, especially in Gettysburg, tonight is instrumental to this cause and sends a strong message of support that fuels the determination of those in and out of uniform, who continue the fight against those who would harm us for no other reason than the United States stands as a shining light of freedom in the world.

When asked to speak here this evening, the event committee made it clear that my mandate in finding words for this event were not to be focused exclusively on the tragedy itself... But I was being invited to reflect on events since September 11th 2001 as well, and find direction for us all as a member of the generation who had been passed this torch by the president when he said the following:

In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked America because we are freedom's home and defender. The commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time.

He also added weight to this responsibility by saying....

Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future... We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

So staying true to the mandate, l searched and found the inspiration of tonight's message, not in words, but in the actions of some truly remarkable Americans. Like a good navigator, we have to look back where we came from... to discover where we are... in order to take a careful measurement to set a course for where our nation needs to go.

Our start point is chiseled in time for us. Mid-morning on September the 11th, 2001, the enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Now that the dust has settled, we know that more than 3,000 innocent people perished in those surprise attacks. The victims came from all walks of life, all races and all ages.

Among the youngest victims were three sixth-graders from the D.C. area. Bernard Brown, Asia Cotton and Rodney Dickens took a flight from a Washington airport to California on an educational trip. Their young lives were cut short when their hijacked jet flew into the side of the Pentagon.

Among the oldest victims was retired Master Sergeant Max Beilke. Max was recognized as the last combat soldier to leave Vietnam in 1973. Hanging up his uniform after a 22-year career as a soldier, Max returned to the Army as a Department of the Army civilian. For the next 20-plus years, he championed retirees' rights on Capitol Hill until a hijacked jet ended his life at the Pentagon. Max was 69 years old.

Here are some facts that give renewed cause to our resolve and help emphasize the importance of why we are here tonight. They help clear the blurriness of our own selfish needs and assist whenever we are in doubt of what we needs to be done.

Approximately 2,000 children lost a parent on September 11.

• 184 people died and 146 children lost a parent in the Pentagon attacks alone.
• 343 firefighters and paramedics, and 60 police officers perished at the World Trade Center.
• One business alone lost more than 700 employees, leaving at least 50 pregnant widows.

These are not just facts - these were our friends, family and our countrymen. These numbers have names and their sacrifice lights the way ahead and gives a clear perspective on where we are today.

When looking for a historical reference to compare with our present situation, I found but one that truly illustrates the monumental task at hand. See, for most of us, the present is the complacent "middle ground" between the commitments required for our country's future and the past tranquility of that September morning before the attacks. Most of us have one foot in the ocean and one foot on the shore; most of us have one foot in the commitment required to see this through and one foot in a sea of complacency that allows others to do this job for us.

I think that if you want to really make a difference and commit to the present, you should think about the example of Cortez. See, Cortez sailed half way around the world; in that time, he might have as well sailed to another planet. He didn't know what might lie ahead on that dark, steamy dangerous continent; the only thing he was certain of is that he could not go back.

Did he hedge his bets? Did he play it both ways? Did he leave hope in the harbor of going back? No. He got everyone off the ships, got what he needed out of the holds, and then took steps to ensure that there wouldn't even be any thoughts of turning back ... He burned the ships.

Too many of us store our ships safely in the harbor of our patriotism and resolve. On September 11th 2001, 343 firefighters and EMTs and 60 police officers burned their ships of doubt without question and raced into the burning building in order to save the lives of their countrymen. To them, turning back was never an option.

When researching for a specific generational response to the events of September 11th, one name kept surfacing ... John Walker Lindh. Sadly, to some, he has become a face of the young men and women of an era. But let me tell you... he and his sad story are the exception. The rule, on the other hand, can be found in the story of an extraordinary young man that the chief of staff of the Army personally referenced in a recent speech.

General Shenski, commented with intensity on the events of the 11th of March 2002, six months after the attacks. It was at this time that the general attended the funeral of a young Ranger corporal who was laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery. As expected, he commented that the ceremony was a moving tribute to a young soldier lost in the prime of life. It was in Operation Anaconda that this Ranger corporal and others died, paying the ultimate price in fulfilling their commitment to one another. By going into harm's way to retrieve their comrade from the hands of our enemies, three Rangers, two airmen, and a member of task force of 160 gave their lives in order to keep the faith with their team mate and fulfill their commitment.

See...this young man, this American, didn't wait until a choice was given to burn his ships; he made his choice long before that day in March and long before that morning in September. He did it when he raised his hand and swore to defend the Constitution and our way of life. He, his friends and the values they stand for are the living example of the direction we must take. He showed us the way and his actions make our future brighter.

Take heart and keep the faith, for there are few Walker Lindhs, but let me assure you that there is an Army of men and women like this soldier, and those firefighters, and those policemen who stand in harms way daily and proudly take their turn keeping watching over us as we sleep under a blanket freedom night after night.

Let us conclude by talking about one more rescue mission. The lessons of this next story give us direction for the future and end with a call for action. This is the story of the British ship Endurance and the explorer, Earnest Shackleton, and his 1914 trans-Antarctic expedition.

He and his crew set sail for the South Pole as WWI began. For six weeks they plowed through 12,000 miles of frozen seas and smashed through the last 1000 miles of packed ice before, with less than 100 miles from shore the voyage froze to a stop as the ship became encased in ice. Attempting to wait it out, they were forced to abandoned ship when it was crushed by ice plates. Soon after, the ship sank.

The story does not end here. They huddled in shelters built from what they salvaged from the ships. Things got worse when the thaw hit and the ice started melting. Almost two years after they left had left their homes, they entered three life boats and made for Elephant Island 100 miles away. After 7 days of bailing ice water they made it, some barely alive. Exposed and still hundreds of miles from the tip of South America, Shackleton knew his men would die if not rescued.

There was a whaling camp on a small island 800 miles across the stormiest sea on the planet. In a 22-foot lifeboat, Shackleton went with five members of the crew. For 17 days, they fought waves higher than 20 feet and hurricane-force winds, always being in constant danger of overturning. They took four readings. . . four measurements with a compass. A miscalculation of one degree would have caused them to miss landfall and ensure failure.

Emaciated, they reached the back side of South Georgia Island and then hiked for 22 miles to reach the whaling camp. After several attempts, Shackleton returned four months later and rescued his men barely alive and huddled under the lifeboats.

Today, we like Shackleton, must take careful measurements for a direction that will ensure the continued prosperity of this nation. But friends, remember, one degree off and we miss landfall... we fail.

Where are the Shackletons of our day, you ask? What I will tell you is that they come out of groups just like this. One of the best examples is of a heroic American named Todd Beamer and of the other gallant members of that flight who had their ship, their hopes, and their dreams, burnt from under them and were forced to come to the terms of their own commitment, not in the span of years, but in the span of seconds.

Flying out of Newark, New Jersey, with a scheduled destination of San Francisco, their plane was hijacked like the passenger airliners that flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However, we know from cell phone calls they made that the passengers knew about the terrorist attacks. They were determined that their airliner would not be used as another guided missile -- and it wasn't. Undoubtedly, these Americans saved countless lives and defeated an attack against what was certainly to have been another vital symbol of our nation's power and prosperity.

When Shackleton asked for crew members, he ran a newspaper ad that read like this:

NOTICE: Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter Cold. Long Months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.

Wow. Who would answer that? Would you? We know that 2000 men did only but only 27 burned their ships and committed to the voyage.

How do you think Todd Beamer's request for enlistment went? I would like to think that all he did was turn and say: "We are Americans, and we are not going to let this happen!"

See, he did not have the luxury of time and his mission was clear. Just as ours is tonight. Now reflect and think of all that you have seen and heard tonight and I ask you, would you respond to the following ad if it ran in the next edition of the Gettysburg Times. If it read like this:

Wanted: Americans needed for a hazardous journey. Doubtful stock market until mission complete. Constant danger. Unknown threats to our way of life along the way. No ships available for safe return. A future for our children, liberty restored and a stronger unified nation in case of success.

Twenty-seven men signed up with Shackleton and a plane full signed up with Beamer. Are there 27 men and women who will sign up for the real thing tonight?

Much depends on this; we cannot wait for that next edition of the Gettysburg Times. Every man and woman here tonight has the opportunity to show the finest qualities of our nation and render the highest service to our cause.

Who is with me? I ask that if you would answer this ad... please, stand where you are. Is there anyone? All I need is 27. Stand and let us draw strength from your commitment.

Stand now and your example will cause others to stand with us.

Editor's note: At the conclusion of the address, the audience of about 3500 rose to their feet and began singing "God Bless America."