September 2002 President's Corner

Bob Schultz '71, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

It’s September already! Where did the time go? Where did the flags go?

When I sat down at my keyboard to author this month’s President’s Corner article, I started to sort through my notes on Chapter issues. Then the calendar on my home office wall caught my eye. My God… it’s September already! An entire year has passed since the September 11, 2001 attack on America!

My fingers fell off of the keys. I sat back in my chair and exhaled a long, slow breath. As I did, my thoughts immediately flashed back to the graphic images of the destruction and lost lives that we all watched in real time horror on national television coverage. I wasn’t ready to relive it all again this soon. But, neither do I want to ever forget.

I want never to forget my classmate Chic Burlingame ’71, who gave his life trying to defend his passengers and his country as the Boeing 757 he commanded crashed into the side of the Pentagon. Neither do I want to forget any of the Naval Academy alumni and shipmates who lost their lives at the hand of a band of cowards who killed nearly 3,000 innocent people that day in the name of their religion.

Here, for your quiet reflection and prayer, is the list of our shipmates who went before us a year ago September 11^th:

Charles “Chic” Burlingame, III - Class of 1971, 1^st Company, Pilot, AA Flight - Pentagon

Kevin P. Connors - Class of 1969, 23^rd Company, worked in WTC

Gerald F. Deconto - Class of 1979, 7^th Company, worked at Pentagon

Robert E. Dolan - Class of 1981, 20^th Company, worked at Pentagon

William H. Donovan, Jr. - Class of 1986, 13^th Company, worked at Pentagon

Patrick Dunn - Class of 1985, 15^th Company, worked at Pentagon

Wilson "Buddy" Flagg - Class of 1961, 5^th Company, Passenger on AA Flight - Pentagon

Ken McBrayer - Class of 1974, 25^th Company, worked in WTC

Michael G. McGinty - Class of 1981, 34^th Company, worked in WTC

Jonas M. Panik - Class of 1997, 33^rd Company, worked at Pentagon

Darin H. Pontell - Class of 1998, 6^th Company, worked at Pentagon

Ronald J. Vauk - Class of 1987, 24^th Company, worked at Pentagon

Kenneth E. Waldie - Class of 1978, 10^th Company, Passenger - Flight that impacted WTC

John D. Yamnicky - Class of 1952, 5^th Company, Passenger on AA Flight - Pentagon

The following alumni have since given their lives for their country in the continuing fight against terrorism:

Matthew W. Bancroft – Class of 1994, 7th Company, Command Pilot - KC-130/R crash in Pakistan

Terri S. Fussner - Class of 1996, 34th Company, Pilot - SH-60B Seahawk, crash in Mediterranean Sea

Last year at this time I made the following observation: On September 11^th, a new generation of Americans had the true meaning of the phrase “Freedom is Not Free” suddenly and abruptly forced into the very core of their consciousness, along with the rest of us.

Now, a year later, I’m concerned that many Americans have let these just year-old memories slip too far away. Maybe because they are just too painful. Maybe because they have gradually gone back to their comfortable lives and can’t, or won’t, imagine for even a minute that it can happen again. I hope that’s not the case. We must never forget, because we must be forever diligent.

That brings up my second question: “Where did all the flags go?” A year ago there were United States flags flying everywhere. Our flag flew from offices, from homes, from cars, from bikes, even from baby carriages! In my mind, they disappeared way too soon.

We all need to get our flags back out! We need to get them hoisted again from every possible post. Let’s keep them up this time, as a daily reminder that we must never forget, and to demonstrate to the rest of the world that we are serious when we say “United We Stand!”.

My flags are already up. They never came down!

God bless America, and God bless our troops defending freedom around the world.

Robert R. Schultz ’71