Hingham Veteran Reenlists in Navy After 9/11 Attacks

For Hingham Veterans Services Director Keith Jermyn, serving and protecting America is something he’s always felt responsible for doing.

So when American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175  struck the World Trade Center Twin Towers on the morning of September 11, 2001,  Jermyn felt his country needed his help.

Jermyn has been serving America since graduating from  in 1985.  The lifelong Hingham resident served in the US Navy from 1986-1994 and served in operation Desert Storm. 

This is not a surprise if you know Jermyn.  He comes from a family with a strong military background.  His  father served in the US Navy from 1961-1966 at the Cuban Blockade at the height of the Missile Crisis.  After the Jermyn family emigrating from Ireland to Hingham in the 1800’s, his great great grandfather served in the Civil War and fought in the Battle of Potomac.

Like almost every American, on the morning of September 11, Jermyn remembers exactly where he was.  He had a stable job working for the IBEW Electrician Union in Quincy. He was happily settled in with his family, living on the South Shore.

While working on a site near the Fore River Bridge, he heard the tragic news. Over a thousand men were working with him that day , and everyone was just in silence.  He remembers the visibly noticeable empty skys that day with no aircraft flying above him.

“The things that we held so dear that day, were put to the test,” Jermyn said. "Over time, America  got comfortable and maybe let its guard down just a little bit. Maybe we were untouchable. At that juncture we learned a valuable lesson that day at the cost of almost 3,000 lives.”

Six days later,  knowing the US would move forward with engagement, Jermyn drove down to the recruit center on Sea Street in Quincy and entered with his hand in the air, making a deal with a recruiter to reenlist in the Navy.

“The decision came from a combination of me already having served, and knowing what I had to do for America,” Jermyn said. “I felt I could do more.  I had the skills and I felt an overwhelming desire to serve.”

Jermyn left his wife and family behind and went on to serve in the Navy to fight the war on terrorism.   By February 2002 he was overseas serving in Spain.  In 2005 and again in 2008-2009, he served in Iraq.

He has many memories of his time in Iraq including in 2005 when the country held their preliminary democratic election and a had a strong voter turnout.

“I was at a polling station that was destroyed from an attack,” Jermyn said.  “There was probably 75 people injured from the attack and after we cleaned up that mess they were right back in line to vote.”

Jermyn said the majority of Iraqi citizens were happy to see American Soldiers were present in their country and rebuilding the government. The Hingham Veteran was pleased to witness democracy flourish in the Middle Eastern country that was once controlled by the brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein.

“They were men and women just like we are here,” Jermyn said.  “They wanted to provide for their children and their families and they wanted to go to work.”

Today, Jermyn, now 45,  is still a citizen soldier and is currently living in Hingham with his wife and three children. In December 2010, he was appointed the new Director of Veterans Services for the Town of Hingham.

As the 11 anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Jermyn will never forget the victims of the horrific tragedy. He still believes the country can improve from the lessons learned that day. Jermyn believes security  in this country should increase so terrorist can never again attack the country.

“There’s still more to do,” he said. “We have to stay vigilant. This is going to be a long term effect that we suffered.”