Brothers' military service forged by tragedy - a 9/11 story

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  There are moments that defy any hint of reason or logic, ones that are so horrible that folks struggle for years to find a way to compartmentalize them.

Sometimes these mere ripples in the world's timeline create a change in societies and impact families in various ways.

Like many Americans, this happened to the Fudge family Sept. 11, 2001.

The day started as a seemingly typical school day in Albany, N.Y., for 13-year-old Nicholas and 14-year-old Arthur 'A.J.' Fudge, Jr.

Meanwhile, their mom was at work in Albany, and their dad at work on the 50th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower in New York City.

What happened next changed the world and, for the Fudge family, a future Airman and Marine were forged.

"I was in the 7th grade, sitting in history class when the first plane struck," recalled Senior Airman Nicholas Fudge, 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron intelligence analyst. "I was pulled out of class by the school principal when it happened, and had to wait until my mother showed up to learn what was really going on; that the World Trade Center north tower had been struck [by a passenger jet.]"

From the principal's office, their mother, Tina Emery, took the Fudge children to work, where they all watched in horror as a second plane hit the south tower, seemingly near their father's floor.

"We all watched the live footage right before our eyes," said Emery.

Though she and Arthur Fudge, Sr., were divorced, they raised their children as a team, and both children spent many hours with their father at his home and south tower office.

While his children watched broadcasts of the tragedies, Arthur was rallying his coworkers and assisting their escape.

"When the first plane hit, Arthur gathered up people and attempted to get his group out of there," said Emery. "They were in the stairwell when the second plane hit, and that's why they survived."

Arthur suffered burns to his face and arms.

"The next few weeks were a blur for me," said Nicholas. "According to my mom, I was borderline catatonic some times, so was my brother. We both went to therapy for a bit for [post-traumatic stress disorder].

"Physically, I felt sick and exhausted. I felt like I was going to throw up a lot. I also started to suffer from full-blown, crippling migraines," said Nicholas. "The one emotion I remember feeling the most was fear. It shattered my view on the world. I didn't think anything like that could ever happen, especially so close to home."

Times were tough for the Fudge children as A.J. and Nicholas got into many fights at school. Still, through their post-traumatic anger compounded by adolescence, they both knew they yearned to do something positive.

"I knew I wanted to do something to help protect my family and others," said Nicholas. "I thought about being a cop or a detective for the longest time, but it really didn't dawn on me to join the military until after my brother enlisted in the Marine Corps."

A.J. graduated high school in June 2004, enlisted in the Marines in July, and graduated basic military training in October, while still only 17. His mom needed to sign paperwork authorizing his enlistment.

Nicholas was in a recruiter's office a year later. Despite his desire to serve, it wasn't his time yet.

"I ended up moving down to Virginia to help [my aunt] take care of my cousin, who has cerebral palsy, while she prepared to retire from the Marines," said Nicholas. "I ended up speaking with one of her neighbors, who was a retired chief master sergeant. He got me in contact with an Air Force recruiter."

The Air Force recruiter wasn't trying to pressure Nicholas into doing something he didn't want to do, and he said he appreciated that aspect. When his recruiter offered him a job as an intelligence analyst, he knew that was his calling.

"It just felt right to go into that career field," said Nicholas. "The reason I was so determined to join was because I wanted to do something to help protect my home. I never wanted anyone else to go through what I went through. I wanted to keep my family and friends safe, and this was the best way for me to do it."

Presently, Nicholas' desire is to continue to serve in the Air Force. His brother has since taken another road but the goal of protecting his family and countrymen remains the same.

A.J. served an enlistment as a tank mechanic in the Marines. He's now in college, pursuing his long-standing desire to tackle crime from a law enforcement standpoint, and believes the Marines were a good first step in that dream.

Emery said she still worries about her children's safety, but is a proud Blue Star Mother and supports their decisions.

"Parents should be proud when their children want to serve; military service is honorable," said Emery. "It doesn't matter what branch of service they belong to or what their job is, when you think about what your individual child is doing for our country, it's overwhelming. They carry a huge burden for us, and we should remember this on 9/11 and every day."