I was in Columbus, Ohio when I got the call from my friend Michael Falzarano in New York. He had just seen the first plane hit the World Trade Center… and that was just the beginning. Nessa and I were in Ohio but New York has been an adopted home to us for much of our lives. It was personal. Of all places to be, we were in a Sam’s Club when we saw the Towers fall on a wall of TV’s. I, like so many others, lost personal friends that beautiful fall morning. In the blink of an eye the world changed for a generation.
I am teaching on Sanibel Island in Florida for a couple of weeks, and this is certainly an alternate universe in many ways. I turned on the TV expecting to see remembrances and tributes and I was greeted by relentless coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth. As an American I have always found the British Monarchy to be mildly interesting when I have nothing else to think about but utterly relevant to my life in the present. We fought a revolution on this side of the pond to rid ourselves of such. Anyway, if the TV was to be on, I would have rather seen it honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 as well as those brave first responders who are still reaping the whirlwind of toxic fallout. Just sayin’
My son was only five then and our daughter wasn’t even born…
But I remember…
I really do!
Jorma,and family, Thanks for always taking the time to reflect and remember Sept. 11th.. Its is a life time ago to an entire generation plus.Here in Ny The media did the right thing. Eileen and I joined the flag procession from Dean st. to The church. A very moving service.Going back to 219/105 has become a sort of reunion.A lot of us dont see each other for a year, Out east in Riverhead the community here in Reeves does a beautiful job with the anual candle light service… Thats home.For Tommy, and my family.. Im not going to touch any of this political debate, or who saved the Queen etc..I recall being 10 yrs old in 1968, with my Dad watching the Anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor.. my Dad weeped, something he never did,, I saw those Veterans in there uniforms saluting with tears rolling down there cheeks..thinking as a young boy that must have been some tough deal that went down.. and here we are today, so it goes.. thanks again
The treatment of the Queen’s death in US media has been completely over the top. Hours and hours on every channel. I agree that it squeezed out many mentions of 9/11. Personally, I think the British should hire some actors to play the royal family, pay them a salary and distribute the incredible wealth of the current useless royals to poor people…but nobody over there asked me!
Speaking of feds trailing red vehicles: Russian sub I mentioned couple of posts ago had been written about in NYT six months prior, while off Venezuala I think. They hadn’t been paid in a year and were pretty much on their own. I made connection when I heard them talking Russian to us. They had just arrived – cops weren’t even there yet. The Ruskies were broke and were having a yard sale. Press played whole thing down, but wrote that those two guys in red pickup had to bring that thing back. Feds weren’t going to charge them, but they couldn’t keep it. They were traced through currency to a town about 50 miles north. Just a couple working guys. I’ll leave you alone now.
Sorry the I guess should be part of the sentence leading into major. Sorry if it comes off the way it did
Thanks for explaining. I guess. Major problem when making statements, we forgot everyone don’t have the same knowledge. Thanks for educating me@Brian Doyle
Frank: My father was a supporter of the Palestinian cause and wrote letters that were published in editorial columns etc…His arab friend Faisal came to his funeral in respect for that and told me “Your father had a talent for writing”…Dad introduced me to the writings of Norman Finkelstein…When I said “Frankenstein face” I meant that Atta had a certain look that made him stand out and that is why I remembered him…I think most people reading that understood I wasn’t saying all arabs were terrorists who looked like Frankenstein…
Thomas Jefferson had a brilliant idea when he separated church from state and made all religions protected…That idea flies like an airplane…You might call it a “Jefferson Airplane” that always gets you there on time…
The idea was that some Intelligence Agency was fully aware of at least two of the 9-11 suicide pilots and were tracking them 6 months before 9-11…I witnessed it first hand…
I am appalled by the statement of people of Arab descent of being terrorist. I being of Sicilian dissent of been labeled Arab, Iranian when our country had issues with radical aspects of these cultures. Our culture makes it so easy to jump on the bandwagon of pointing out the errors of American culture but makes it ok to label people terrorist or the ethnic looks of the people aka “Frankenstein” when we want to play the victim. I am not Woke or an Advocate on social issues, but I try to look at life through a lens of common sense. I have my DNA test and do have Middle East blood. I simple statement of I may have seen the 9/11 high hackers prior to the attacks would get your point across. Stereotype Statements such as yours have caused me and other innocent people problems. Note, I am not the Woke police, just someone concerned when common sense is left out.
Second ¶ –> Do you mean “utterly irrelevant?”
“When it is laid down as a maxim that a King can do no wrong, it places him in a state of similar security with that of idiots and persons insane, and responsibility is out of the question with respect to himself.”
– Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, Conclusion (1791-2)
About 6 months before 9-11 on my stroll to the hot tub at the community pool I saw two arab-looking figures drive by on my street and thought to myself “Those guys look like two arab terrorists”…I also thought “I didn’t realize the Grand Am came in red”…I kept walking and about 100 yards behind them was an Audi-type car with two guys inside who were dressed in classic tan Sam Spade trench coats like in the movies…The sun was low in the sky so it illuminated the men as they intensely focused on the car ahead and its occupants…It was so intense that I thought to myself “Those two guys are definitely tracking those two other guys”…I knew I witnessed something odd but since it didn’t mean anything I filed it in the weird things department and went to the tub…On 9-11 they showed photos of Mohammed Atta and something tingled in my memory but it didn’t come back right away…Then I realized that was the guy driving the first car…He had an unmistakable Frankenstein-like face…The passenger was probably Shehhi…The airport where they trained was only 30 miles from here…
The sun is still bright and warm here on Sanibel in between the afternoon rains…
Hey Jorma – stop in for some Costco Pho if you’re in the neighborhood lol!..
Hi Jorma,
Thanks for your perspective, as always. Here in NY, I went to a 9/11 memorial this morning in Manhasset, north shore of Long Island, where many families lost loved ones.
There was JIMMYS 5K Run a GOLD STAR Memorial. The bell rung, bagpipes played, 2022, still raises a lump in the throat.
After commemorations, Meade Brothers Band played live music 11am to 12:30pm, many generations represented.
Heather ‘Lucky’ Penny was one of two Air Guard pilots sent to down flight 93. The tube algo sent me her recollection a few years ago. I cannot link, but it’s a sobering watch, and gave me a feel for pride and resilience of the D.C. responders and staff, who cheered as those F16’s buzzed Pentagon en route to Pa. Everyone knew the task at hand and knew a second plane would not hit Washington.
Van Cortlandt Park Walkabout
Saturday November 5 , 11:30
Memorial Grove 246& Broadway
I invite you to join me in a leisurely loop through the park. This particular walk will head to the Northeast Woods and an extensive inner loop around the Indian massacre site on the Bobby Sands Trail.
The walk should take 2-4 hours.
It will be a loop, though exactly what route has yet to be determined that’s why it’s a Walkabout! This will be my first announced walk and I intend on having one a month in various areas.
Please feel free to forward to anyone you feel may be interested. ESPECIALLY EDUCATORS
Peace✌🏻️❤️Love All Ways🔥🚲🌹🙏🏻🖖🏼
Hope all well
My last student who could remember 9/11 was theValedictorian
We talked about that day and she wasn’t sure if her memory was real
Her mother said OMG you remember that
She was going home with her mother walking past the bodies lined up
“Mommy why are all the firemen crying “
✌🏻️❤️🙏🏻 🌹📖
Peace✌🏻️❤️Love All Ways🔥🚲🌹🙏🏻🖖🏼
Happy Birthday Mickey Hart
Brooklyn born
Sept 11, 1943
But a sad day for America.
G_D Bless her.