September 11th even harder for war widow, spent the 10th anniversary retrieving her husband's body

On September 11th, 2011, Jane Horton wasn't watching the memorial service for terror victims.

She was planning a memorial service for her husband and flying to Dover AFB in Maryland to meet his coffin as it returned from Afghanistan.

Specialist Chris Horton was a sniper with the Oklahoma National Guard.

He died in action Sept. 9, 2011, along with two other soldiers, Sgt. Bret Isenhower and Pfc. Tony Potter.

That night, Jane learned of her husband's death and on Sept. 11 she found herself at Dover AFB waiting for his body to return home to the U.S.

"That was a horrific day," she told KRMG in an exclusive interview. "You know, it's a month and a half of events before you can bury them."

She said this year was harder than the first anniversary of Chris' death.

"Actually, the second year was much harder than the first," she said.

"The first year you have all the support and the second year everyone's like 'will you just get over it already' and it sets in and you realize you're really alone and you have to find a new life."

She has found a new life, moving to Washington, D.C. (not far from where Chris is buried in Arlington National Cemetery) and working to make a difference for others who have lost loved ones to war.

"I advise some of the military officials on how to take care of families of the fallen and on legislative issues and I do a lot of advocacy for veterans as well."

But she knows the dates of September 9th and September 11th will haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Someone worded it very eloquently for me. They said it doesn't get easier, it just gets different. And I think that's very true."