25 Years Ago Today…
September 11, 2001
In Part 2 of our series, the perspective expands beyond the Missouri Baptist University community to area leaders, military veterans, pastors, educators and others who experienced 9/11 firsthand. Their reflections revisit the fear and uncertainty of the day while remembering the unity, patriotism and resilience that followed.
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston, a retired U.S. Navy interior communications chief, emphasizes both the immediate impact and long-term effects that occurred after 9/11. He specifically mentions the Great American Boat Lift, in which thousands of ships converged to evacuate individuals stranded in Lower Manhattan following the attacks. Partisanship and division melted away, and the nation united as American people.
Darren Casper
“Freedom isn’t free.”
Darren Casper, executive pastor at Connect Church St. Louis, vividly remembers the devastating events of 9/11 and thereafter. He recalls a strong sense of American pride despite the nation’s vulnerable state. Casper urges current and future generations to recognize the cost of freedom and honor those who sacrifice to preserve it.
Doug Morris
Doug Morris, U.S. Army Sergeant and Combat Medic, was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army on the day of the 9/11 attacks. Despite being overseas, all U.S. embassies were on lockdown, and Morris recalls dressing in civilian clothes to conceal his identity.
Doyle Ward
Doyle Ward, a Field Service and Inventory Technician for Xerox at Boeing, reflects on the generational gap between those who experienced 9/11 and those who have only read about it in history books. He emphasizes the traumatic reality of the events and the emotions that accompanied them. Yet, Ward recalls a spirit of “American exceptionalism” and encourages younger generations to bond as one nation before it is too late.
He further describes a stark contrast between life before and after 9/11, including the technological connections that did not exist at the time.
Gage Sizemore
Gage Sizemore, a concrete mason at Vision Civil Construction, was a new father on September 11, 2001. He recalls fearing for the nation and for the future of his child. Sizemore stresses the importance of proper border control to ensure the safety of the United States.
