When al-Qaida attacked the United States on Sept. 11 Stephen Lee felt numb, like the rest of America. But for him, it was not until his boots hit the dry Afghan dirt that reality set in.
While serving as a human intelligence collector in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next nine years, Lee witnessed changing attitudes toward the war in his fellow soldiers and himself.
Lee, who expects to graduate from UW-Madison in May, joined the army in 2000, hoping to give structure to his otherwise chaotic life. He trained alongside fellow soldiers, most under the age of 20, with no real expectation of fighting in a foreign country.
After 9/11, Lee said a surge of patriotism changed everything the military had previously known.
""All of the sudden you start seeing old [recruits] coming in,"" recalled Lee. ""People that put down their regular jobs [to fight].""
And it was not just the age and occupation of those in the military that changed. According to Lee, he saw people from all walks of life enlist.
""I've not seen a more accurate representation of our country than the military,"" said Lee. ""There's a lot more diversity of thought than the military gets credit for.""
According to Lee, this diversity of thought led to heated conversation in the barracks and tents of Iraq, as soldiers debated the validity of the U.S. presence in a second war.
Today, Lee is working toward a degree in political science. Ten years after 9/11, it pains him to look around and see the average citizen remain seemingly detached toward the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
""I look around and you wouldn't know that we had soldiers out there risking their lives,"" said Lee. ""You wouldn't know that August was the deadliest month for American forces in Afghanistan since late 2001.
We need to create that dialogue.""
As part of the organization Vets for Vets, Lee helped set up flags on Bascom Hill Friday to commemorate the day that will live in infamy. But Lee said all their efforts are for naught if the commemoration does not generate honest discussion among students.
""If two people had a discussion about 9/11 and what has happened since, then [the commemoration] was worth doing,"" he said.
But Lee hopes a real discussion is not confined to the anniversary of one event, no matter how iconic.
""What's wrong with thinking about it and reflecting on it once a week; once a month; at all?""
