September 11, 2001. 9:37 a.m.
Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills was in a Pentagon conference room when American Airlines Flight 77 struck.
The fireball threw her across the table. Her hair caught fire. The room went black with smoke.
Crawling, she felt a hand grab her belt.
"My name is Lois," a voice said. Lois Stevens, a civilian employee, injured and choking.
"Stay with me. Where I go, you go."
Wills pressed her Army sweater into Lois's hands. "Breathe through this." When Lois collapsed, her nylons melted to her legs, Wills lifted her onto her back and carried her.
Six others followed the sound of her voice through the wreckage.
They reached a sealed second-floor window. They broke it. Cool air rushed in. Wills stayed inside.
"I'll go last," she said, and helped lower every person out before she fell into rescuers' arms below.
Lois Stevens lived 23 more years because of that decision.
Wills received the Soldier's Medal and Purple Heart for her burns, smoke inhalation, and traumatic brain injury. Thirteen days later, she returned to the Pentagon. She later deployed to Afghanistan.
She never called herself a hero.
"We lost so many that day," she said quietly. "They were my friends."
Some leaders give orders. Others carry people through the fire.
God bless Lt. Col. Marilyn Wills — and all who served on 9/11.
No matter how long I live after we get through this dark chapter, I will never get over the immorality, the amorality, the corruption, the criminality and the cruelty in service to one of the worst humans to ever walk the earth.
Rob Reiner on Charlie Kirk's death:
“Absolute horror, and I unfortunately saw the video of it. It’s beyond belief what happened to him. That should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.”
“And I felt like what his wife [Erika] said at the service at the memorial they had was exactly right. I’m Jewish but I believe in the teachings of Jesus and I believe in ‘do unto others’ and I believe in forgiveness and what she said to me was beautiful. She forgave his assassin. And I think that is admirable.”
Compare that to Trump's disgusting tweet about Rob Reiner's death.
This is Cecile Richards. The daughter of Texas Governor Ann Richards, she served as as the President of Planned Parenthood for over 12 years. Today, President Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
RETWEET to thank @CecileRichards for her life of service!
I would love to tell you about the times vaccines prevented me from getting sick, but every time it happens, I don’t notice. I just keep feeling well.
Neither do you.
Public health, when it’s working, is invisible.