Ask anybody over the age of around 20 about September 11, and they can probably tell you in detail where they were and what they were doing when they first heard the news of the terrorist attack. The memories and horror from that day are seared into our minds as Americans.
For Josh Krage, September 11 is especially poignant. In 2001, he was Corporal Joshua A. Krage in the United States Army, working at the Defense Intelligence Agency or DIA, on the Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC. That day started out just like any other, with Krage arriving at the DIA at 6:30 a.m., ready to tackle his work day. When he arrived, he found out that he was scheduled to travel to the Pentagon at 7:15 that morning for a Joint Color Guard Assignment. However, the departure time was delayed for some inexplicable reason and so he was still waiting at the DIA instead of presenting the colors at the Pentagon when the first plane hit the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m. that morning. Like millions of other Americans, Krage rushed to find a TV to watch the news and was stunned when a second plane hit the other tower, and then a third flew into the Pentagon shortly after that.
Krage described what happened next as hysteria. “Like in a movie, the warning lights start to flash, the horn starts to blow and everyone is trying to leave,” he wrote later. The base was put on immediate lockdown, and Krage and his colleagues were left to watch the terror from on tv inside the DIA. “It happened so quick,” he said. “You just react.” When the base was finally taken off of lockdown, Krage looked across the Potomac River as he walked to his car and saw the black smoke billowing up into the air from the burning Pentagon. Blackhawk helicopters circled overhead, and fighter jets took off from the nearby Andrews Air Force Base. Numerous roadblocks manned with machine guns and guard dogs had been set up in the Capitol, so Krage ended up taking 395 South to get out of the city, driving right past the Pentagon. “As I drove by, tears started to flow,” he wrote. “I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to fully explain the depth of this day and how it impacted my life. I’ll never know why we didn’t go to the Pentagon and what might have happened to me if I did.”
Krage joined the army in 1998 and spent two years in Germany along with completing tours in Kosovo and parts of Macedonia. His grandfather served in WWII and his father in Vietnam so he felt that joining was a tradition of sorts in his family. “No one made me do it,” he pointed out though, adding that his dad made sure he knew that it had to be his own choice. “I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” he said, “To be able to say that I helped a little bit.”
During his time in the military, Krage especially enjoyed serving as a volunteer for the Joint Color Guard, which was what he was originally scheduled for that morning on 9/11. The Joint Color Guard consists of a representative from each branch of the military carrying the “color” or flag from their branch. During his time with the Color Guard, Krage helped to present the colors at retirements, promotions, and other events in the DC Metro area. He appreciated the fact that it brought the different branches of the military together as one.
After 9/11, Krage continued to serve in the Army and was awarded Soldier of the Year at the DIA in 2002 and was promoted to Sergeant, an honor that was well-earned. The events of September 11, 2001, pushed him to do better, appreciate the moment, and maximize his resources and abilities. “It kind of puts you in the zone after you experience something like that,” he commented.
In 2005, Krage retired from the military. He now owns Krage Insurance Agency in Lanesboro and lives in Preston with his wife, Cheryl and their four children. In 2017, he and his family were able to visit the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Washington, DC for the first time. “The emotions just spilled over,” he said.
“You have to talk about it,” Krage said about 9/11. “If you don’t talk about it sometimes, when it gets close, you bottle it all up again.” He has spoken about his experiences from that day at his church, but is careful not to push it on others. “I don’t want to force it,” he said, adding that oftentimes when people find out that he was so close to the attacks, they do want to hear more. ‘It’s nice that they do because it means that they didn’t forget.” He also has talked about it with his kids some, but is waiting for them to start asking more questions about it as they get older.
“Appreciate the moments more. Appreciate who you are. Appreciate the emotions that come with it because it kind of reminds you of how frail life is,” Krage said about what his 9/11 experience taught him. “You learn that when something like that happens, you’re not by yourself. In the Army, you’re a true team. It (9/11) reinforced that.”
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