Joshua Miller Reflects on 9/11 as a Marine
Document Type
Personal Reflection
What were you doing on 9/11? (Or, What was your interviewee doing on 9/11?)
I was an active duty Marine Corporal helicopter electrician stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. My squadron was scheduled to deploy in February 2002 and had already begun the pre-deployment workups. I worked night crew and was woken up by my wife the morning of 9/11 to watch everything unfold on TV. That evening going to work was a different experience, as everything seemed to speed up. Flight operations, maintenance, pre-deployment tasks took on a heightened sense of urgency. Our scheduled Mediterranean deployment turned into a combat deployment in the span of a couple of hours.
How did 9/11 affect you personally and or professionally?
Marine Corps aviation led the way after 9/11 and we have never looked back. The march to Baghdad in 2003 was the first land operation that relied more on air support than artillery, so for me, it was great to be a part of that transition. Personally living this experience has given me teaching tools to pass along to the current generation.
On 9/11, what sector were you (OR your interviewee) in?
Military
On 9/11 what was your (OR your interviewee’s) occupation? (optional)
Marine
Event Location
Joshua Miller Reflects on 9/11 as a Marine
Marine Corps aviation led the way after 9/11 and we have never looked back. The march to Baghdad in 2003 was the first land operation that relied more on air support than artillery, so for me, it was great to be a part of that transition. Personally living this experience has given me teaching tools to pass along to the current generation.
