This was September 11, 2001 for my family. My sister died two months prior and my dad was active military. Living on the west coast, the attack was very early for us and I’m not sure what got my mom to wake me up but she did and in a very weird way I’m thankful for it. I rather have known what happened than hear it afterwards. Being a child, it was a very surreal day. I thought I understood death and its magnitude after my sister died but I couldn’t comprehend this kind of scale.
I know we make light of it the event on the internet (I’m totally guilty of that too)… However I’ve been seeing videos of personal recounts of people there in the moment and it’s made me check myself. My families life changed fundamentally but it pales in comparison to so many others.
There’s a certain account that animates personal stories (that I believe are largely NY/east coast based) called Story Corps. Every single post has made me cry.
For all those whose lives were changed through this tragedy, I’m so sorry.
Yes. He had 6 to 9 month deployments from 2001 until about 2007. The most I got to talk to him was about once a month in a phone call. When he was home it was for about 2-3 months at a time. It was really hard on our family but we had a great support group.
He was in the Air Force based out of Reno Nevada. He stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran. He’s been retired for a while now but I can ask him.
Edit: my dad wasn’t in Iran. I misspoke. He previously was stationed in Qatar. I fucked up on this and I’m sorry for any confusion. It’s been a long time but that’s not an excuse to not have my facts right.
My dad was in the Air Force during that time as well, stationed in Oman though. He worked on repairs before and after war damage, specifically C-130s. Doubt they would’ve crossed paths, but who knows!
My father eventually got medically discharged and was 100% disabled veteran status until he passed away June 17, 2025 from service-related illness.
This answered my burning question of did he ever get to come home and stay home. Panel 6 made me scared the end was going to be a coffin with the flag draped over it.
As a fellow daddy's girl, hold him tight and tell him you love him when you can. Have the conversations you keep putting off. I lost my dad earlier this year after a long health battle (not cancer for those wondering); I'm absolutely wrecked most days, and I was fully prepared for that day to come.
As an Air Force vet as well from the GWOT era. I highly recommend just sitting and talking with him. Put your phone on voicemail memo and ask him about his service. Basic training, tech school. First duty station, 9/11, everything. His funnies stories and best memories. Even his worst memories.
My mom never talked to my grandfather who was a Korean War vet about his time in uniform, and we don’t know much about his service. I think he’d also be happy to share.
Very, very few Americans died in the GWOT compared to previous wars like Vietnam. In context more American military personnel died by cancers, heart problems, and other “natural causes” during those twenty years than died in combat.
I know in comparison that America lost far fewer soldiers when compared to previous conflicts, but I also know that Dot is not one to shy away from using her comics as a form of therapy to get a traumatic/high stress out of her head entirely to share the emotions she feels in an effort to come to terms with whatever event. Such as when previous pet passed away.
Theres a non zero chance my parents may have met your dad. I was born a few months after 9/11 on that base but i think they'd be living there for a few years at that point. Crazy to think about
If my memory serves me right, one of the Truckee cops was stationed at the base in Reno went he rotated from active to reserves for a bit. I could be mistaken and he was just at Beale the entire time until he transferred over to the Navy, but it would have been mid-2000s to early 2010s.
Glad he made it back in one piece.
I was also a teen when this happened, left for boot camp the next year and did multiple deployments to the area.
I can’t fathom how hard that must have been for him after losing a child. Trauma stacked on top of trauma.
Never miss an opportunity to let him know how happy you are to still have him here. And if he hasn’t already, encourage him to try therapy. The generation ahead of me in service tended to stigmatize mental health services… but was seriously screws with your head. Some things didn’t hit me till over a decade later when my life had slowed down a bit and I had time to myself to think and process everything that happened.
Non zero chance our dads met in Qatar or Iraq. Dad was pretty high up in the enlisted side of the SF (MP) world out of McChord AFB. Was gone a lot during the immediate aftermath as well.
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u/reddot_comic Finessed Impropriety 15h ago edited 14h ago
This was September 11, 2001 for my family. My sister died two months prior and my dad was active military. Living on the west coast, the attack was very early for us and I’m not sure what got my mom to wake me up but she did and in a very weird way I’m thankful for it. I rather have known what happened than hear it afterwards. Being a child, it was a very surreal day. I thought I understood death and its magnitude after my sister died but I couldn’t comprehend this kind of scale.
I know we make light of it the event on the internet (I’m totally guilty of that too)… However I’ve been seeing videos of personal recounts of people there in the moment and it’s made me check myself. My families life changed fundamentally but it pales in comparison to so many others.
There’s a certain account that animates personal stories (that I believe are largely NY/east coast based) called Story Corps. Every single post has made me cry.
For all those whose lives were changed through this tragedy, I’m so sorry.