Monday, May 2, 2011

Remembering best friend on momentous day

When I picked up the paper from our driveway Monday morning, it was folded inside the clear plastic in such a way the main headline wasn't full visible.

OSAMA BIN LA ... was all it said.

I was still half-asleep, but judging from the bold faced type and the headline's size, I knew what it meant before I pulled the paper out of the sleeve.

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD

It stopped me in my tracks.

The world's most wanted terrorist, the evil face behind the slaughter of 3,000 innocent people on U.S. soil on Sept. 11, 2001, had met his fate at last.

That it was accomplished by a courageous Special Ops team of Navy Seals made me proud.

Yet my thoughts throughout much of the day were of a cemetery in Alliance, Ohio.

It is the place where Bill Ruth, my college chum, best friend and the big brother I never had, is buried.

Bill perished at the Pentagon on 9/11.

That his death -- as well as all those caused by this hateful Islamist fanatic -- has been avenged is good and just.

I've never have been able to make peace fully with the fact this former Marine medevac helicopter pilot, who made it through Vietnam, died that terrible day at the Pentagon.

Closure was a word that was used a lot during Monday's coverage of the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

I heard family members of 9/11 victims who said they didn't feel it.

What that despicable individual did to their families is something they can never forget.

They can take solace in knowing the U.S. lived up to its promise to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

I know Bill would be proud of it, too.

1 comment:

  1. Thought of you & the loss of your beloved friend Bill when we heard the news. Maybe Bin Ladens death will bring a small sense of peace to some. Like Mommy would say "Good Riddens to bad Rubbish"

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