Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Looking Back: Charles Djou Joins Army After 9-11
By Selected News Articles @ 3:01 PM :: 13379 Views :: Maui County, Education K-12, Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics, World News, Family

From www.Djou.com

Like most Americans, Charles and I can remember vividly exactly where we were on September 11, 2001. We had just gotten up and were getting ready for work. We were about to wake up our son Nick, who was eight years old at the time, to get him ready for school. For some reason, we happened to turn on the television. In horror, we watched as commercial airplanes were flown into the twin towers in New York City. Like many, we’ll never forget that day when we witnessed unimaginable cruelty, but also bravery and heroism beyond measure.

After 9-11, our country headed to war in Afghanistan, and my husband joined the US Army Reserve. As his wife, I was sick with worry. I didn’t know what to expect. I was concerned that my husband was volunteering to put himself in harm’s way. But, like so many Americans, Charles felt the call to serve -- to do his part for his country and all those who lost their lives on that fateful day. Although scared for our future, I was proud of Charles for his courage and willingness to serve.

For more than a decade, Charles has been a reservist in the Army. Two years ago, however, on the tenth anniversary of 9-11, Charles boarded a plane from Fort Benning, Georgia en route to Afghanistan. As many of you know, he spent six months in Afghanistan at FOB Pasab with the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, and returned home to Hawai‘i last year.

In his time in Afghanistan, Charles saw the best and worst in humanity. He saw the selfless sacrifice of our American soldiers but also utter human depravity in Taliban insurgents. He saw peasant farmers armed with rifles escort their young children – boys and girls – to school; these farmers who live in mud huts and have no running water or sewer, believe so thoroughly in the importance of an education that they risk their lives to make sure their children can go to school.

Likewise, having children of our own, Charles and I believe there is no sacrifice that we wouldn’t make for our own children. So, on this day in particular, we remember, we honor, and we thank, all of those brave Americans who have sacrificed so much for all that we enjoy as Americans – from those first responders who rushed into burning buildings on 9-11 to those soldiers who have answered their country’s call to serve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.

With sincere gratitude and fond aloha,

Stacey Djou

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii