Certainly you recall exactly what you were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001, when you first learned that America had been attacked.
I was five minutes from home and on my way to work. I had just tuned into my favorite radio station, the all-conservative KSFO in San Francisco,when my cell buzzed. I was startled to hear my wife state without so much as a hello, “We’ve been attacked! Don’t drive into the city. Come home now.”
My initial thoughts likely mimicked yours. “We’re the United States of America. No one attacks us.”
I immediately raised the volume on the radio. It was true. The host, Lee Rodgers, suspected terrorism. I quickly did a U-turn and returned home just in time to witness the sickening sight of the second World Trade Center tower being struck by a plane, loaded with thousands of gallons of fuel and traveling over 500 miles per hour.
People were jumping.
My family and I were speechless. I did everything to hold back tears of rage. I wanted to do something, but was unsure what to do. Then, almost out of instinct, I responded the way so many of you probably did: I ran into the garage, took out our American flag, and proudly displayed it.
Within an hour a Christian radio station serving the area, KFAX, called me. The host of their afternoon talk program was in another city and had planned to fly back to San Francisco in time for his show. However, all air travel was curtailed. The station had heard I was thinking of transitioning from TV to radio and asked if I would like to fill-in. Without missing a beat I said, “Yes.” It would serve as my way of responding to the attack, which by now we all discovered was conducted by Muslim terrorists.
The show that afternoon on KFAX was moving. The callers were so patriotic. My special guest was Ann Coulter—she was my first radio talk radio interview. Ann was in New York City when the attacks occurred. Her recollections of the day were riveting. We even prayed together, live on the air.
Everything changed for all of us that day. I had no idea that KFAX would soon offer me an opportunity to host a daily talk show, and that a year later KSFO would offer me a similar position. Eventually I would inherit hosting the very morning program on which I learned the details of that 9-11 attack.
Since then we’ve all learned so much more about our enemy. They are well-educated, well-funded, well-indoctrinated zealots who hate Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. They live amongst us, work around us, pose as peaceful, and are running a 24/7 PR campaign to designed to convince us they are not a threat.
Our lives were changed. We will never forget.
At the time of the attack, my husband was in the communications industry. He traveled all the time, all over the world. I thought nothing of taking him to the airport on Monday morning and picking him up on Friday evening. This particular Monday he was already on his way to Chicago and then on to New York. He was scheduled to work at the World Trade Center’s two towers because his company had equipment in the towers. He did not make it to New York because of the attack. However he did loose friends in those buildings. I know the Lord was watching out for him.
I don’t know how to describe it but I too was on the way to work. Couldn’t get ahold of my wife because she was exercising but the more interesting story was to occur later in the day: the first sonogram for my (to be born) son. We were ushered into the sonogram room and the (I kid you not) arab sonotech had two TVs in the room: one with coverage from NYC with people jumping out of buildings and one with the pictures of my son in utero. It was a chilling juxtaposition of life and death, evil and love, in one small room.
God bless those who perished and those who continue to keep and preserve our liberty, both at home and abroad.
Brian, does tape of that 9/11 show with you and Ann C exist, and can that be streamed / shared?
Psalm 44:5-8 – never forget…
Jim
Now that I think about it, I believe I do have it on CD. I need to look…