The Grayson County Rotary Club Tuesday (Mar. 29) listened to Tony Rose, a retired United States Army Sergeant-Major speak about his experiences on September 11, 2001.

Rose was in the section of the Pentagon that an Al-Queda hijacked plane crashed into on that September morning.

"When the plane hit at nearly 400 mph, exploded and released smoke, along with hot, burning jet fuel," Rose said, "I watched 26 of my soldiers killed, some were even vaporized by the smoke and heat of the explosion."

After the plane hit the building Rose said he worked the rest of the day with a concussion, broken bones and smoke inhalation to save the lives of people still in the burning building.

He also spoke about patriotism, appreciating all the wonderful work the military does in keeping Americans safe and secure, and the love he has for America.

"Americans are doing great things in the world," he said, "and we all need to cherish the freedoms we have in this country.

"There are lots of places in the world that aren't as fortunate," he said.

He said that it was his goal to speak to the youth of this country about appreciating and valuing the freedoms they have and to remind them that "freedom isn't free."

In his concluding remarks he told Rotarians, "I love this country, I love this flag, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."