There are people in our country who are willing to put their life on the line to keep those who they love safe. Nathan Barnes was one of those people. Ten years ago he was seventeen. For him it was a time of decisions. That morning Nathan was at school like so many other people across the country he watched the footage over and over again. The planes crashing, towers falling, and the people trying desperately to find their loved ones. It was only a few days later that Operation Enduring Freedom was passed by congress. We were now at war. It was a year later, according to Nathan's mother, that he first talked to them about joining the military. She said she never knew exactly why Nathan chose to enlist, or how much the events of 9-11 had impacted his decision but knew that he had always wanted to do something big with his life. Joining the military was his way of putting his mark on the world.