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Lt. Cmdr. Matt Fetterman, 34, Navy reserve, co-founder of the Homefront Foundation, Mark’s twin:

I am marching to class. I am doing what I think I am supposed to be doing. I am going to my first engineering class. Suddenly my friend comes running up. He says, ‘Look! Look!’ I look across the Long Island Sound, up the East River. The World Trade Center is smoking. A plane had just flown into the North Tower. I stopped and I look and I don’t know what to do. I am scared for the people that are there but I don’t know what happened. How did a plane fly into the World Trade Center?

Suddenly I am standing there watching and another plane flies into the South Tower. I see the explosion. It’s not a coincidence. I knew then we were under attack. Our country came under attack, Tuesday morning Sept. 11, 2001. We were under attack and I was angry. Three days ago I swore into the United States Navy. My life had just changed forever. I wondered what I was going to do. So did all the other midshipmen lining that hill. We all wondered what we were going to do. I stood there helpless, angry, scared.

“Groosh!” Two F-15s fly directly over our heads. Straight into Manhattan. We were in the fight. And we’ve been in that fight for the last 15 years. Two weeks from now will be the anniversary – 15 years of Sept. 11. That day affected me. It affected the midshipmen I was there with and it affected everyone else.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you remembered where you were on that day, I’ll ask you to stand up.

If you are connected to a veteran or a service member, if you think that day affected you, understand, we all have our stories and we are all connected. We are a community. … The service of our veterans and service members affects all of us

We are going to share with you this evening some of our stories because they’ve made a difference. Every one of these men and women standing behind me have served and they continue to serve.

Other stories ... Tom Chaby

John Roy

Aaron Littles

Susan Tamme

Eric Engelhardt

Det. Ronald Paulk

Scott Fetterman

Kiersten Downs

Capt. David Taliaferro

Lt. Cmdr. Mark Fetterman

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