Books by Eric Douglas

Thriller fiction and Non-fiction

  • Home
  • Mike Scott Thrillers
    • Held Hostage: Search for the Juncal
    • Water Crisis: Day Zero
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • The 3rd Key: Sharks in the Water
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Heart of the Maya: Murder for the Gods
    • Wreck of the Huron: Cuban Secrets
    • Guardians’ Keep: Mystery below the Adriatic
    • Flooding Hollywood: Fanatics at the Dam
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
  • Withrow Key
    • Lyin’ Fish
    • Tales from Withrow Key
  • Agent AJ West
  • About the Author
    • Publicity and Interviews
  • Nonfiction
    • For Cheap Lobster
    • Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery
    • Oral History
      • Batter Up!
      • Memories of the Valley
      • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
      • Capturing Memories: How to Record Oral Histories
    • Dive-abled: The Leo Morales Story
    • Keep on, Keepin’ On: A Breast Cancer Story
    • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
    • Russia: The New Age
    • Scuba Diving Safety
  • Free Short Fiction
  • Other Fiction
    • Sea Turtle Rescue and Other Stories
    • River Town
You are here: Home / Photography / Patriot Day is an opportunity to honor those who serve

Patriot Day is an opportunity to honor those who serve

September 11, 2013 By Eric Douglas

 

The 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. Each lighted bench, designed to look like a plane tail, represents a person who died at the Pentagon.
The 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. Each lighted bench, designed to look like a plane tail, represents a person who died at the Pentagon.

Thousands of articles, columns, and blogs have been written about September 11, 2001 and how it affected everyone in the United States, regardless of religion, skin color or background. While I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing that day, and I would never suggest anything as trite as “moving on” or “seeking closure” I think it is time to honor the memory of those who died by remembering how they lived.

ambrose 2
Dr. Paul Ambrose is one of many who died on 9/11 as his plane crashed into the Pentagon. Here his name is engraved on the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero in New York City.

I didn’t know Dr. Paul Ambrose, but I took several classes from his father Dr. Ken Ambrose at Marshall University. Paul Ambrose was a promising young physician (who graduated from the Marshall University Medical School) and was on his way to a conference to give a presentation on preventing youth obesity. He died on Flight 77 as it crashed into the Pentagon. For every person who died that day, there is a story of people of someone who led a good life, whether living simply for their family or working toward a better future. To honor Paul Ambrose’s work, there is now the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health in Huntington.

Too often we get bogged down with crime and cruelty in the world and we forget those who serve us as a nation. I don’t know how many times recently I have said, with disgust in my voice, something to the effect of “people have lost their minds” when I have read a news story about another senseless killing or act of cruelty. On the whole, though, I think there are more good people out there than bad. The bad just get more attention.

There are good people who work to keep us safe, improve our lives and support others with little or no recognition for themselves. They just feel it is “what they are supposed to do” and they do it. They serve in the military, as first responders at home or at the local homeless shelter.

September 11, officially Patriot Day, is a day of mourning for our nation—as it should be. Today, take time to think about the people we as a nation lost that day and how we have changed since then. At the same time, rather than dwelling on the anger or hatred or grief of the day, remember those who served this nation and their local communities, and those who still serve simply because it is what they are supposed to do. If you get a chance, stop and say thank you..

Filed Under: Photography

Real Thugs: A Cult of Murder — Small groups of travelers have disappeared all over the mid-Atlantic without a trace. When bodies turn up with what appear to be ritual markings, FBI Agent AJ West is on the hunt for what might be a serial killer. Or something even more sinister. It’s a race against […]

View Book

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Substack
  • Threads
  • YouTube
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 ·