JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As we honor the lives lost during the 9/11 tragedy that took place 13 years today, one local veteran is remembering where he was that horrifying day.
DK Johnson is a Vietnam veteran who picked up a camera when he was just 9-years-old but found his true passion while serving our country.
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On the morning of 9/11, he lived in New Jersey and was able to capture some incredible yet somber pictures of the twin towers as they were going down.
Hearing Mr. Johnson talk about what this country means to him gives you goosebumps.
He served our country for 20 years and is now blind in one eye because of his time in Vietnam. As if he doesn't already have a remarkable story to tell, his photography tells a whole different story.
"The night before I tossed and turned, I couldn't get to sleep until about 5 a.m., and about 8:20 a.m. I think a relative called and asked if I was watching the news," said Johnson.
It's ironic that DK Johnson couldn't sleep the night before the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked by terrorists, killing thousands of innocent Americans.
Johnson is a retired and disabled Veteran who served in the military police corps and the criminal investigation division during Vietnam. His first love is America, his second, photography.
"When I was about nine, I bought a camera called a Brownie Hawk Eye. It cost about two dollars and I was fascinated because it was a box camera," said Johnson.
Several years and cameras later, Johnson was living in New Jersey and was becoming an expert photographer of New York buildings and landmarks.
When he turned on the news on September 11th, 2011, he saw the second plane crashing into one of the twin towers. He grabbed his camera and headed out the door.
"When I got to where I normally take pictures, I noticed the south tower was already gone and I had just enough time to get my camera out of the bag and take the lens off and start shooting," said Johnson.
Johnson was just miles away from the tragedy, when he started capturing pictures.
"That was really sad because I was standing there taking pictures and I know people are dying in that building, but there was nothing I could do but just keep shooting," said Johnson.
This American hero said he saw so much tragedy while serving our country in Vietnam, but never imagined he would see anything like that in his own country.
"It's like Pearl Harbor, this is one of the only second time in history a foreign enemy attacked the continental United States, so it's something they will read about in history books in years to come. It's something we should never forget and never let our guard down," said Johnson.
Johnson said he will spend today honoring those who lost their lives on 9/11. He said our country has to continue to pull together and listen to one another.
If you are interested in seeing some of his prints, which he has hundreds, you can contact Johnson by emailing DKNJ1640@aol.com.