The world tends to give its fullest attention to anniversaries that end in zero or five — not eight. There will be bagpipes and drums in New York. The president will lay a wreath at the Pentagon. Most of the nation will take a collective pause and move on.<\/p>\n
But for those like Birdwell and Haynes, directly touched by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, every anniversary is a powerful reminder of grief, and, as years go by, a kind of healing.<\/p>\n
Birdwell was burned over 60% of his body. Today, he is retired from the Army and running a ministry for burn victims he founded with his wife.<\/p>\n
Haynes was the Pentagon chaplain, coming up from a meeting in the basement when he heard chaos and spent the next 24 hours ministering to people who kept asking, “Why?” Today he is at Ft. Jackson, S.C., counseling combat troops.<\/p>\n
“The key thing for those who lived it versus watched it, is the nation will recognize an anniversary,” Birdwell said. “But when I look in the mirror and see the scars, I can concentrate on the terrible nature of what happened or I can concentrate on the Lord’s grace in our lives.”<\/p>\n