Who will ever forget where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001 when the world learned that Fundamentalist Islamic-terrorist had successfully attacked the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington D. C. and crash-landed United Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA.

We all learned later that day that the passengers on Flight 93 decided to take control back from the murderous hijackers and in the struggle, the hijackers crash-landed the plane in the field in Pennsylvania, and not into the intended target; the White House or The Capitol Building. The words "Let's Roll" took on a new meaning of patriotism. I remember seeing those words painted on tanks, Humvee's and on some walls of Coalition military bases in Iraq in 2004.

It was only hours after the attacks before the names "al Qaeda" and "Osama bin Laden" were on everyone's lips. America united, and began the healing process. I had the honor of touring across America for one year with the firefighters of FDNY Engine Company 55, and I personally witnessed the healing of America.

A few days after the attacks I remember watching TV, while tears rolled down my face, when members of the US Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, sang "God Bless America" together, with their arms around each other. .... My-my have time changed.

Did we forget in 7-short years? I can close my eyes and see the second plane smashing into the South Tower, and as the plane exploded through the building, I remember thinking to myself, "Oh my God; how many people just died?"

Did we forget in 7-short years? I can close my eyes today and still see the image of a young woman jumping to her death as she fell from the flames of the North Tower. I remember thinking; how horrible it must have been for her to choose to jump to her death rather than burn to death.

Did we forget in 7-short years? I can close my eyes and see the people in New York holding photos of their missing loved-ones up to the camera, asking, "Have you seen him/her? Please call us if you know what happened to this person."

Did we forget in 7-short years? I can remember sitting in FDNY Engine Company 55, and listening to the horrific stories from those American-Heroes, as they worked at Ground Zero, recovering body-parts with box-cutter wounds, dispelling any lunatic "conspiracy theories."

Did we forget in 7-short years? I can close my eyes and still smell the "death" on a portion of a stair, from a stairwell of the North Tower, that my friend Cliff Russell (brother of lost FDNY firefighter, Stephen P. Russell E-55) keeps sealed in a plastic bag. Cliff would say, "That's what it smelled like, that's the smell of the death of thousands of people."

Cliff Russell came to Iraq with us in 2004 and delivered one of the most powerful messages of thanks and hope to our Troops on the frontline. I cannot tell you the many times one of our Troops would say to me, after hearing Cliff speak during the show, that they could never equate the reason they were in Iraq and September 11th, until now.

Cliff ... you, John Olivero, Vinny Forras and the brothers at FDNY E-55 are always in my thoughts.

You are invited to Remember September 11th in a very special way

12:00-Noon

On September 11th, I will be performing a few songs at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza at Wabash Plaza and Wacker Drive in Chicago. General William S. Wallace, a Chicago native and the Commanding General for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, will administer the oath of enlistment to new Army recruits and reenlist several Soldiers during this ceremony that commemorates continued service to our nation on the 7th anniversary of September 11th.

I invite all of you to join me in congratulating our Soldiers for volunteering to fight terrorism and congratulate our great Soldiers for reenlisting and continuing the fight against terror.  

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza in Chicago is one of the most beautiful memorials and parks in the city.

(In case of rain, the event will be held at the Union League Club on Jackson and Federal Street.)

7:00 PM

On September 11th, I will be in concert with my acoustic guitar in Memorial Park on the corner of Lincoln and Oakton Avenues in downtown Skokie, Illinois. The concert is free and it also honors our First Responders, Veterans and Troops. I'll be performing for about 90-minutes.

Please join me and remember.

(In case of rain, the event will be held at the Skokie Theatre, across the street from Memorial Park.) 

"We will bring our enemy to justice or we will bring justice to our enemy ... but either way, justice will be done!" President George W. Bush ~ September 18, 2001.

              NEVER FORGET!

 

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