I woke up late. I was up late the night before drinking and listening to music with my fellow Marines which was pretty typical for a young Marine Lance Corporal in the barracks at 9th Communications Battalion at Camp Pendleton California. My roommate had already left and I realized I was running late and we had formation that morning.

I throw on my uniform, race downstairs hop in my car and race to the shop. I wasn’t listening to the radio. I was probably listening to Country Grammar by Nelly or something.

I get to the parking lot, hop out of my car and before I can even make it all the way out of my vehicle one of my fellow Marines starts screaming at me, “Stewart, Stewart, did you hear what happened?”I had no idea what they were talking about. I sprint to the shop and everybody is huddled around the small TV we had in the shop.

We were looking at the news and all I remember seeing was a bunch of smoke coming out of the twin towers. At that moment, I knew that everything was going to be different. I knew everything was going to change.

Some of the Marines in the group we’re super fired up and amped up and ready to go fight. A lot of us were in shock and speechless and didn’t know what to say. Fast forward a few months and I was on my way out to the Middle East. I will never forget that day I remember like it was yesterday.

I remember. Lets hear your story.