One this day fourteen years ago, it began as any other warm late summer day and quickly changed into one of the most horrific days in U.S. history. With that in mind, I felt today was not a day for an adult porn film review, but rather a recollection of that fateful day and how it changed the entire world we live in. So please bear with me today. Even though I am on vacation I will be spending some time at the chapel at this resort in prayer.

I was enjoying my usual morning coffee, bacon and eggs in the kitchen around 8:40 a.m. and had the CBS Morning News on the TV as was always the custom. I was assembling some notes for work that day at the NightMoves offices while the newscast was on. I would glance up every couple of minutes to see what was being reported and then it happened. A reporter broke in about American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston crashing into the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. and the video showed the plane slamming into the building and a huge ball of flame and smoke erupting. At first everyone thought it was a malfunction of the plane, a plane off course, engine troubles, etc. No one, then, had even considered terrorists. Then, while the reports of the WTC crash continued and stories began to take shape, at 9:03 a.m.news of another airliner United flight 175 also out of Boston crashes into the south tower of the WTC creating another ball of flame and black smoke and being seen live on TV. By now through reports from the White House, the FAA, NYPD, NYFD and other agencies the stories, reasons and theories began to make more sense and the pieces began to fit. The words “Al Queda terrorists” became very much front and center as to the reason for this attack on the World Trade Center that would take the lives of more than 3,000 innocent people.

At this point, I got a phone call from Paul Allen wanting to know if I was watching the news. I told him I was, and in complete shock. He told me not to bother coming to the office he was closing it for the day. It was just too much of a tragedy to worry about adult stuff and I totally agreed. Little did either of us, or anyone else for that matter, know that these two incidents were just the beginning of the most harrowing day anyone could ever remember or experience and how it would change the lives of everyone, everywhere in so many ways. I basically stayed glued to the TV watching things unfold.

Then came even more shocking news as the reports came in that an American Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon killing everyone on board the plane and more than 100 inside the building. It was becoming almost to much to fathom as you wondered what could possibly happen next. Just after 10 a.m. that answer came when United flight 93 out of Newark Airport was hijacked and some passengers tried to overtake the terrorists, but the terrorists purposely crashed the Boeing jet into a field in Pennsylvania killing everyone on board.

In the meantime the entire area around the WTC looked like a scene out of a sci fi movie as the towers collapse and crash to the ground. The scene is chaotic, surreal and heart pounding. After the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 when FDR made the remark, “A day that will live in infamy” he had no idea just how prolific that statement would become some 70 years later. The rest of that day was like a blur, like a bad  dream and a day that would forever change the entire landscape not only of the U.S. but the world.

I did not realize at the time that this day would become extremely, and angrily, very personal to me. I would find that out 2 days later via a phone call. It came from Linda, the daughter of friends of  ours we had known since 1970, over 30 great years. He and I worked together for several years in New York City, his wife and mine were very close, we did things together including a trip to Jamaica and watched their daughter grow up into a fine young woman with a family of her own. I had been in touch with them a week earlier about their coming to Florida to see us over the Christmas holidays.The call from Linda was to inform me that her mom and dad, our longtime friends, were aboard United flight 175 that had crashed into the south tower. Needless to say, I totally lost it and immediately this attack became very personal to me and will forever remain that way until the day I die.

We all know how it has changed us, changed how we travel, how we communicate, how we defend, how we keep safe, how we live and so much more. It has forever changed the world we live in. So I ask each and every one of you who read this piece to please take a minute or two out of your day today to remember all those we lost on that day and all those who went above and beyond to save whoever, and whatever, they could in this tragedy. Remember those gone and remember those heroes of that fateful day.

One more little side note: We had to postpone our NightMoves Award show that year because of the tragedy and the new travel restrictions. However we did reschedule it for that November and  the beginning of our own small way to honor 9-11. From that day forward we have always begun our awards show with the singing of our national anthem to honor our country and to those who gave then and are still giving as we continue the fight against terrorism.

God Bless the U.S.A.

Art Koch,  National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN