Story by: U.S. Army Spc. Karla Guerrero

It was just an average day on a city block in New York City. Within a matter of hours, an ordinary day turned into a grim, defining moment that reverberates today.

For U.S. Marine Corps Col. Adam Jeppe, Marshall Center military professor – then a newly commissioned second lieutenant stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar – the moment the first plane struck the North Tower was shocking and deeply personal.

"My marines and I then watched in disbelief over the next several hours as the second aircraft hit and the towers collapsed,” he said.

Before the reality of what had occurred settled in, the base had already shifted into a wartime posture, locking down and establishing a provisional security force. It was clear that the world had changed in a matter of hours,” Jeppe said. “Looking back now, I realize that no single event has shaped my military career more than 9/11. The decisions our nation made in response to those attacks, the conflicts that followed, and the relationships we built with allies and partners have influenced nearly every day of my service since. It became the defining event of our professional lives.”

Those relationships were evident as NATO invoked Article 5, the Alliance’s collective defense commitment – the first and only time in history that NATO activated this defense commitment.

“It serves as a powerful reminder that our allies stood with us during one of the darkest moments in our nation’s history and that strong alliances are an enduring source of security and strength,” he said.

On the other side of the world, in the German Army, a young captain – now Lt. Col. Dirk Bocklet, Marshall Center plans and strategy officer, was in France – and was witnessing the tragic event as equally devastating and surreal.

Bocklet was in the city of Lille, where he was helping develop a military exercise. As his team was making their way back to their hotel that afternoon, a taxi driver attempted to tell Bocklet, in broken English, that a plane crashed into one of the twin towers.

When he reached his hotel room and turned on his TV, the reality of what was unfolding began to sink in.

"I sat there in disbelief, unable, and perhaps unwilling, to accept what I was seeing,” said Bocklet. “Then, shortly afterward, a second aircraft flew into the other tower. It was unimaginable.”

To Bocklet, 9/11 was not just some tragedy on the other side of the world. He was in New York a few years prior, viewing the sheer magnitude of the towers in person. At the time, he stood between them and thought, “Nothing could bring these towers down.”

Bocklet remembers – and will never forget – the images of people choosing to take their own lives by jumping out of those same buildings instead of facing their deaths from within. 

“I remember asking myself, ‘what circumstances could drive a person to make such a decision?’” recalled Bocklet. “Those scenes were more shocking and heartbreaking to me than the strikes themselves. They represented the human dimension of the tragedy in its most devastating form.”

Despite experiencing 9/11 from different countries and different perspectives, both men came away from the tragedy with a shared understanding of its lasting impact.

For Jeppe, the time after the attacks reinforced the importance of unity, resilience, and partnership. He remembers the camaraderie and sense of purpose that flourished within the U.S. military.

For Bocklet, despite the day demonstrating the vulnerability of even the strongest of nations, it underscored the importance of resilience and international cooperation.

Twenty-five years later, both continue to see 9/11 not only as a defining moment for their generation but also as a reminder of the strength that comes from standing together in the face of threats and challenges.