Montana Patriot Day: Where Were You 23 Years Ago Today?

Many of us remember exactly where we were on September 11th, 2001.

While it's hard to believe so many years have gone by, I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in front of my radio control board getting ready to go on the air when the national news announced a plane crash in New York. We turned on the TV in the newsroom and watched the second plane hit live.

What happened after that is a bit of a blur. I know we went on the air and tried to explain what was happening. The AP computer started to go crazy as report after report of hijacked planes was coming in. After about an hour, we joined the national network and as a radio station staff, gathered together in silence to watch it all unfold.

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You don't forget days like that. Today makes 23 years since what many have called the worst day in our nation's history.

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It was a day that saw the worst and the best of people. We watched heroes dive into action to try and save as many lives as possible. We saw volunteers gather together to do whatever was needed to try and help as best as they could. Tens of thousands of people went and donated blood, there were no Democrats or Republicans. There were no liberals or conservatives.

There were simply Americans. Helping each other. Praying for each other. Hugging each other. There was a sense of unity, a sense of togetherness.

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While New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania are a long way from Montana, today our hearts go out to those brave men and women who sacrificed so much, including their lives to help others in need.

Today is Patriot Day across this great land of ours and it would serve us all well to remember what a patriot is. The definition states the following:

"a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors."

Notice it doesn't mention political affiliation? Tomorrow we can get back to political talk and trying to convince each other that our way is the right way, today, let's love each other and be grateful that there are those on both sides who are willing to give their lives so we can disagree.

See 20 Ways America Has Changed Since 9/11

For those of us who lived through 9/11, the day’s events will forever be emblazoned on our consciousnesses, a terrible tragedy we can’t, and won’t, forget. Now, two decades on, Stacker reflects back on the events of 9/11 and many of the ways the world has changed since then. Using information from news reports, government sources, and research centers, this is a list of 20 aspects of American life that were forever altered by the events of that day. From language to air travel to our handling of immigration and foreign policy, read on to see just how much life in the United States was affected by 9/11.

Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer