When the Twin Towers Fell I was 9 years Old

On this 12th anniversary of a tragic day for all Americans, I wanted to share a unique perspective. Hannah Kuhns is the daughter of a soldier. She is one of 2 million children that were directly affected by this fateful event.

September 11, 2013

When the twin towers fell, I was 9 years old. Now 21, I’m still profoundly impacted by that day and the events that followed.

As the PROUD daughter of an American soldier, I would be the first to say that I wouldn’t trade my life and the experiences I have had for anything. I have had the opportunity to travel the country, meet interesting people from all walks of life, and catch a glimpse of true heroes in everyday life. However, with these incredible experiences, I also had to face very adult situations at a very young age. The idea that my dad had to go to a country I have never heard of and protect us from the “bad guys” wasn’t from a movie; it was reality.

The next 10 years were like a whirlwind; my father was deployed 4 times, we moved to a new town, and my mom, younger brother and I had to learn to function as a unit of 3 instead of 4. My teen years were absolutely the most difficult of my life. Through junior high and high school, I felt myself slipping away more and more as each day passed and my dad was still gone. Although there were literally THOUSANDS of other military teens experiencing what I was struggling with, I had never felt more alone in my life.

At the age of 19, I finally found my path to healing. I began serving as a Comfort Crew Ambassador and have been blessed with numerous opportunities to reach out to younger military children and impart the knowledge that I have learned about coping with a deployed parent. Joining Trevor Romain on his tour to military elementary schools finally gave me the closure and healing from my own experiences as a military child. I could not be more thankful for this wonderful opportunity.

I was blessed with strong positive influences in my life and was able to stay on a successful track and I am now beginning my senior year in college. However, my story is unique; not all military teens end up as lucky as I was. Most of my peers were not given adequate support and now struggle in their lives as young adults. It is our duty to offer a strong shoulder to lean on to these teens and guide them through this tough time in life. The opportunity is there and these teens are waiting for us.

Capitalizing on this opportunity would leave a lasting legacy of much stronger, healthier, and successful children of military families. Thank you for taking a moment to learn about my story. God Bless and don’t forget to thank a soldier today!

Sincerely,

Hannah Kuhns