SAN ANTONIO – Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the memories remain vivid for the Americans who watched the tragedy unfold and for those who answered the call to serve in its aftermath.
For local veterans at VFW Post 76, the largest and oldest post in Texas, that day was more than a historic moment. It became a defining point in their lives, shaping decisions about service, sacrifice and what it means to protect a country under attack.
Jaime Rincon was a teenager living in California when the attacks happened.
He remembers watching the news after his father woke him up following the first attack. Schools were closed, and flights were grounded as the country tried to understand what was happening.
Then he watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center.
“That was kind of like my drive that I needed to do something for my country,” Rincon said.
He knew he was too young to respond that day, he said, but the loss of life made him feel he needed to do something to protect his country and help those who could not protect themselves.
“As soon as I turned 17, I graduated high school,” Rincon said. “Had my parents sign my papers and I joined the Marine Corps.”
He ultimately served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
For Joseph McFadden, the timing was different. McFadden enlisted in the U.S. Air Force just one day before the attacks.
The following morning, he was at home eating breakfast when he watched the devastation unfold.
“Enlisting the day before was kind of a shock,” McFadden said. “I was actually in my living room watching everything, and the devastation was just outrageous. I can’t even put it into words.”
Despite the shock and uncertainty, McFadden said he never reconsidered his decision to serve.
“I never wavered,” McFadden added. “I never thought that I would go to the recruiter and say, ‘I don’t want to go serve my country.’ From day one, I just kept going.”
McFadden went on to serve more than 20 years in the Air Force. The impact of 9/11 also reached military families and civilians who watched the country change around them.
Dora Cortes was working as a first grade teacher in San Antonio when it happened. She remembers teachers trying to protect their young students from the frightening images playing on television.
Cortes said teachers tried to maintain their composure and continue the school day, but the emotions were difficult to contain.
“We just had to go on the rest of the day with trying to smile, trying to keep our composure, trying to do the best we could,” Cortes said. “But once in a while, tears would come down.”
Cortes’ husband served in the U.S. Army, giving her another perspective on what the attacks could mean for military families. At the time, she was also thinking about her own children and the possibility that they could one day be called to serve.
“As a mother I wouldn’t want that, but as a citizen, you know, we have the obligation to help our country and keep our country safe,” Cortes said. “And our democracy lives on.”
For those who lived through 9/11, the passage of time has not erased the emotions of that day. Cortes described it as “a day of infamy, a day of hurt” and remembered the overwhelming grief she and her fellow teachers felt.
Twenty-five years later, she said remembering the people who died remains essential.
“I don’t want them to forget none of the firefighters, none of the first responders, none of the people that died that day,” Cortes said. “We should keep them in our hearts, in our minds.”
For Rincon, remembering 9/11 also means remembering the unity he believes emerged from the tragedy. He said the attacks strengthened the country and reinforced his belief that “nothing can stop us if we continue to be united.”
The memories of Sept. 11 remain deeply personal for those who experienced them firsthand. For a generation of veterans, those memories also became part of a lifetime of service — a commitment that began with a single day that changed the nation forever.
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