(Unfortunately, there may be future days of remembrance. They may not come at the hands of our worldwide enemies, but rather, at the negligence of the enemy from within under the name politics and with disregard for the security of our country.)

Below, is my annual remembrance of 9/11 and of my personal experience of it prior to that fateful day.

“BELOW is my own personal tribute of remembrance which I wrote back in 2015. It recaptures much of what I remember on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. Each of us will have their own particular recall of what they experienced as they watched utility and firemen glance skyward at the roaring jet that flew above their heads toward the South Tower. “Holy shit!” was distinctly heard coming from one of the men who knew of the pending disaster that the roar of a dying jet represented.

Yes, almost all of us of the living, who breathe God’s sweet on that day, will have his or her own story or recollection. This one is mine.

I REMEMBER

I remember, the sun teased its way up from behind the mountains that rise to the east of Las Vegas.

I remember, two attractive young women passing me by as they jogged west at around 5:15 am.

I remember, when I reached the pedestrian over-walk bridge leading to the golf course I decided that the mile plus was sufficient and I began my return home.

I remember, upon my return I immediately turned on the gas for the tea and laid out the bacon into the pan for my breakfast sandwiches.

I remember, I turned on my 32″ tube TV, and tuned it into the news on CNN.

I remember, as I turned the bacon over I could hear Judy Woodruff interrupting her normal news delivery to read a special report

I remember, Woodruff and her co-anchor reacted in a befuddled manner as they told us that a light plane had crashed into the World Trade Tower.

I remember, my days of living and growing up in Brooklyn and of later living my younger adult years in Manhattan, a mile and a half north of the Twin Towers. I often bore witness to unusual mishaps and tragedies, and I dismissed the reported news as probably being no difference.

I remember, news up-dates were given, news crews were scrambling, pictures were being returned to the studio, and then the revelation that the plane was a commercial airliner.

I remember, I settled with my breakfast and sat in my living room in front of the television.

I remember, there was ever so dark smoke billowing out of the North Tower.

I remember, I still could not grasp the gravity of the catastrophe that this apparent accident represented.

I remember, I sat and became more engrossed with the reporting.

I remember, a silver flash came in from the west and disappeared. I thought nothing of it until I saw an orange ball of flames blasting from the South Tower.

I remember, one of the CNN anchors saying, “We have just received word that a second plane has crashed into the World Trade Towers”.

I remember, basic silence backed up the live camera footage covering the hell developing and, I remember the news anchors staring at each other before one broke the silence by stating, “This was no accident”.

I remember, my emotions flared with a mixture of bewilderment, awe, and shock, and I remember that anger soon became part of the mix as awareness set in that America was under attack.

I remember, I sat and intensely watched as Tower II began its collapse and then my scream knowing that perhaps thousands of people were in that building.

I remember, I cried out as I watched in horror the collapse of Tower 1 and I remember seeing my neighbor looking from across the street, listening to my cries of agony and my shouting to her, “The World Trade Towers have been destroyed”.

I remember, I had to break away from my television and walked over to another neighbor’s door to tell him to turn on the television.

I remember, I then walked to the street and another neighbor walked over to console me in my tears as other neighbors, sitting on their porch and totally unaware of the events, looked on.

I remember, but for the multiple twists of fate it was conceivable that I could have been in one of those Towers, along with former co-workers of years past who had pooled their talents to begin a new export company.

I remember, there were dozens of things to remember, both large and trivial, but too numerous to list here.

I remember, I will always remember these and many things that happened and things I lived through on that day of 9/11, now fifteen years past.

I remember, and in honor of all who died, and their loved one whose hearts died with them, I promise, I will never forget.

I remember, and I wonder if you remember. It pains me for I know that many of Americans have already forgotten, and that many, too many, of our young people are unaware and ignorant of what hell befell America and its people on that day. It pains me that too many people have forgotten…they will never remember.

Sadly, many have forgotten. Sadly, many of them are those in government who chose to silently diminish that day for the sake of their own ideology; for the sake of ‘fundamentally changing America’ into its own image and likeness.

I remember, and I can still see our flag fluttering in all of its glory in the aftermath of the attacks. And like at Fort Sumter, it proudly gleamed that we, as a nation, still stand – that we will pay homage to our dead and rejoice in the good days that lay before us. And I swear that every time I see Our Flag I will honor and respect it as the unifying force. Regardless of our differences, it represents the bravery, the goodness, and the honor of Americans as a whole, and I will condemn the individual who spits upon it, burns it, or disrespects it in any manner. It is a symbol of what we stand for, and though not perfect, the American Flag represents the steps to perfection that we, as a country, will always strive for.

MY NEW YORK LIFE BEFORE AND DURING 9/11

I can account for the years before evil played its contemptuous charade on 9/11.

After returning home from the army back in May of 1965, I was fortunate to find an apartment on 91 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village, a desirous and quaint section of Manhattan to live in. It still sets about sixty feet across the street from the renowned Chumley’s, which at that time was also known as the ‘No-Name Bar’ because it did not have a sign over its entrance. My small three room apartment cost me a mere pittance of $54.40 per month, and the girl, my wife’s friend, who took over my lease in 1970 may very well still be living their…at least she was when I last visited in 2000.

Three blocks east of my apartment stretched 7th Avenue South, and as we peered southward we were only able see the shorter rooftops of commercial buildings less than two miles away. The World Trade Center was still only in its drawing stages on paper. Beginning in 1970 that was about to change. Beginning then, those looking Southward on 7th Ave could see, not one, but two gigantic edifices growing towards the sky. When completed, both towers had its full view looking northward to return the stare of those who admired them in awe. Regretfully, my new bride found us an apartment in northern Manhattan, and I never did get to witness the growth of history.

In 1977 I was an export manager for the defunct export division of ITT Corporation, situated at 75 Varrick Street at the mouth of Holland Tunnel, and only about six blocks from the WTC. I had a window office on the fifteenth floor, giving me a full view of not only the Hudson River, but also of the North Tower. One day, work stoppage by executives and clerks alike took place to watch a fascinating activity – we all were witnessing ‘Spider Man’ scaling the walls of the North Tower. Needless to say, very little work was accomplished that day. In an ironic and fateful twist, if it were some twenty-four years later, we would have also witnessed a tragedy that will be remembered world wide.

I left ITT in 1978, and two years later the division was disbanded. A group of employees then went on to establish a new and independent export company, and they located it on the twentieth floor in one of the prestigious towers. But for fate and restlessness, I could have been one of those people who would have had a large hand in creating a new company.

There are many visions of 9/11 that will stay locked in my and other people’s minds. Among them the horrifying sight of bodies plummeting to certain death hundreds of feet below. About a year or two later, a photographer who was on another assignment was redirected to cover the tragedy, had a colleague of his point something significant out in one of his photos. Most of his shots covered the buildings as they were collapsing. In that particular photo, after being given special focus, depicted a man straddling and riding a portion of a wall as it came cashing to oblivion.

There were the live camera shots of people on the upper floors pleading for rescue. Rescue was not to be as they became part of debris piling upon the ground. There was the billowing dust and smoked chasing and enveloping people from all walks as they tried to escape its path. There was the young CNN female reporter who on several occasion wept as she was reporting – later, there were those who shamefully criticized her for displaying her emotions. To this day I cannot understand those who try to criticize tears that were being shed out of shear genuine emotions for the loss of humanity…and reporters, too, have emotions.

There were many heart breaking things that developed out of tragedy. They are too numerous to list here, but those of us who are aware will, also, never forget them.

My years are numbered, and I will probably never have the opportunity to visit the scenes to which I bore witness. Still, in this lifetime and hopefully in another thereafter, I pray that I will always remember. That I will never forget.