Tuesday, September 11th

For the first time since the initial attack, 9/11 falls on a Tuesday. I'm posting this item with a time stamp of 6:10 am, six years to the moment that I first found out about the attacks. I'm sure many of you are thinking back to where you were when you first heard the news and first saw the televised scenes of destruction. HolyCoast Dad posted his remembrance here, and this excerpt is from my 2005 post on this anniversary:

Like most of you I'll never forget that day. I got up at about 6:10 PDT and as is my custom, turned on the computer. When AOL connected the headline said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. My initial reaction was that it must be some type of terrible accident. Maybe the weather was bad in New York and some poor guy ran into the tower as had happened to the Empire State Building back in the 40's. Figuring that this was probably on TV, I turned on the set and was shocked to see the image of both towers on fire. It was pretty clear that this was no accident.

I sat there transfixed and watched the coverage. At 7:05 one tower appeared clothed in smoke and a cloud was rapidly spreading out from the base. At first the commentator didn't know what he was seeing, but having watched numerous shows on Las Vegas, including many which showed hotel implosions, I immediately knew that a collapse had occurred. At that point I had to take my kids to school. I remember telling them that school might be very different today because there had been an attack on America.

By the time I got back home the second tower had collapsed and Brit Hume began talking about an explosion at the Pentagon. He also said there was a possibility of another plane on the way to Washington. Smoke was visible in the distance from the crash at the Pentagon.

The coverage was chaotic but very professional. I had planned to work in San Diego that day but ended up watching the coverage non-stop. At lunch time I headed over to pick up a sandwich, and in that same center was a Red Cross Blood Center. Someone in the Togo's line mentioned that there was a 2 hour wait to give blood. America was responding.

The rest of that week is a bit of a blur. Non-stop coverage from New York, the memorial services, the famous scene of President Bush with his arm around a fireman and talking through a bullhorn to the rescue workers.

One of the memories that will stick with me was the Saturday following the attack. We had some free tickets to Magic Mountain that expired after that day, so we took the family up there. The crowd was down and the music they were playing in the park was all patriotic music. I remember hearing "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and thinking that it won't be long until Johnny starts marching again.

I couldn't help but wonder if there would be another attack in the news as I fired up the computer this morning. It almost seems that it's the only thing that could possibly get the attention of the Democrats and lefties that we're still in a real war against a real enemy. Although given the rhetoric thrown at General Petraeus, I'm not even sure a devastating attack could have much effect on some of them.

Just a few weeks ago I stood on the deck of a ferry boat looking across the Hudson River at the area where the World Trade Center once stood. You can't really tell anything's missing from this shot...

...until you compare it to this shot. It's of the same area, but from a little bit different angle and distance:

Today, the World Trade Center looks like this:

I took this shot from the Winter Garden across the street from Ground Zero. It's now a 16 acre construction site.

And of course, we can't forget the sacrifices that were made at the Pentagon or in that field in Pennsylvania. In 1976 I was with HolyCoast Dad when we stood atop the World Trade Center, and then later in the week toured the Pentagon. Both those places hold special memories for me. We can never forget.