Mountainside Man Compelled to Protect His Country Because of 9/11

When the twin towers imploded and the Pentagon burned on September 11, 2001, a fire of passion welled up in 17-year-old Nicholas Perez-Santalla of Mountainside that compelled him to take an unanticipated path into military service.

Not only did his father come dangerously close to being caught in New York City when the towers were hit, since his father worked as a foreign exchange broker up until two months before 9/11, but Perez-Santalla said he felt as though an important part of his world had been shattered and stolen from him.

“The towers were a unique feature on the New York City skyline and there were a number of places in the area that I would go to view them. My uncles and my father had worked at the stock exchange in the past, so when I would look at the towers, I thought, that’s where they are,” said Perez-Santalla.

He said the World Trade Center towers were a great part of how he identified New York, and remembers with great nostalgia the view and the feeling of the wind on top of the towers.

“I felt like a small part of my youth had been suddenly taken away,” said Perez-Santalla.

After serving in Iraq and Afghanastan, from 2005 to 2008, and also serving in NATO, he is now in his ninth year of service.

Currently stationed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Perez-Santalla, Electromagnetic Spectrum Manager and paratrooper in the 82^nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, said he loves his work in the military and his dedication to forging the opportunity for democracy around the world has not changed a breath in ten years.

“The 82^nd Airborne is devoted to humanitarian efforts, such as providing help in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Katrina,” said Perez-Santalla.

He recalls how his life unfolded 10 years ago.

“It was my second day of senior year and 9/11 happened. I joined the army less than a month later. I finished out my last year in high school and got into basic training and while everyone else I knew was going off to college, I got this adrenaline rush and I had to serve my country in the military,” said Perez-Santalla.

He recalls what it was like as he entered Iraq for the first time.

“I was a little scared. We landed in Kuwait and drove for three days into Baghdad but I was surprised by what I found. We had helmets on and guns loaded, but when we got there, it turned out to be more of a humanitarian effort,” said Perez-Santalla.

“Even though there were rockets and bombs going off around us, you got immune to that. And what was more important was the appreciation that the Iraqi people had for our presence there. They really wanted our help,” said Perez-Santalla.

“For me, the main objective became to free this nation. I just wanted everyone to have a better life and have the same opportunities that we have," he said.

"While initially I had nothing but aggression and anger about what happened in New York, after I had been in Iraq for a while, I realized that there was a much bigger picture to be seen – we needed to ensure that these people have the same liberties that we have,” said Perez-Santalla.

While stationed in the middle-east, Perez-Santalla said he stayed in close contact with his family, and was able to call his father, whom he refers to as his best friend, almost every day.

In his early teens, Perez-Santalla picked up the guitar and during his deployment in Iraq, his music became a source of comfort and an outlet for expression.

“I wrote about my experiences and missing home. It gave me a break, even just for a few moments,” he said.

The songs he wrote eventually took the form of a completed CD and after its release, he was interviewed by CNN.

In addition to contributing to the cause of democracy around the world, Perez-Santalla completed a bachelor’s degree and certificate program in music, and finds himself happy and proud of the decision he made ten years ago.

He met his wife while he was stationed in Naples, Italy and they now have a 15-month-old-daughter.

Perez-Santalla said, “I initially came to service with a sense of vengeance, but three deployments later, while I’m still dedicated to the fight, the focus is on protecting the way of life for the American citizen."