Fri-Sunday, September 9-11, 2005

Remembering 911...

911 overshadows all the events we've witnessed through the years. This Sunday marks the 4th anniversary of this horrific attack on America, an attack that has changed this country forever...

The nearly 3,000 souls lost in the World Trade Center attack alone are constant reminders of how vulnerable we all are. Not a day goes by, even after 4 years when we're not reminded of America's darkest day. Just this week, the remains of a fallen hero were put to rest and once again we heard "Amazing Grace" being played on bagpipes, a far too familiar strain...

We may have been temporarily weakened but we were also awakened by the devastation brought to our shores by terrorists on that fateful day in 2001. It's a day to remember the fallen heros, friends and loved ones who weren't as lucky as we are to be able to look back and remember something we hope to never see again in our lifetimes...

Some personal thoughts on 911 will follow in my commentary at the end of this post...

September 9 Memories...

1926) NBC is created by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA)...

1956) Elvis Presley makes his first appearance (from the waist up) on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" show (he'll make a total of 3 appearances on the show)...

1960) The "Boston" Patriots lose the AFL's first game, 13-10 to Denver...

1965) Sandy Koufax pitches his 4th no-hitter, a perfect game (against the Cubs)...

1966) John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet at an avant-garde art gallery...

1967) "Soul Man" by Sam and Dave is released...

1971) John Lennon's "Imagine" LP is released...

1971) Prisoners seize control of maximum-security Attica prison in upstate New York. 43 will perish...

1972) "Witchy Woman" is released by the Eagles...

1974) 22-year old Jimmy Connors wins his first U.S. Open Mens title...

1976) Communist Chinese leader Mao-Tse-tung dies at 82...

1978) The Rolling Stones release "Beast of Burden"...

1979) At age 16, Tracy Austin becomes the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Women's title...

1981) Both Sting and Phil Collins launch their solo career at Amnesty International's "Secret Policeman's Other Ball"...

1984) The Bears' Walter Payton breaks Jim Brown's combined yardage record when he reaches 15,517...

1987) Gary Hart admits on "Nightline", cheating on his wife...

1998) Sex Pistol member Johnny Rotten appears on "Judge Judy" as the defendant in a case involving a drummer who sued Rotten for allegedly head-butting him...

2003) The Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese agrees to an $85 million settlement in sexual abuse cases...

Happy Birthday to...

1942) Inez ("Mockingbird") Foxx...

1945) Dee Dee Sharp...

1946) Billy Preston...

1949) Joe Theismann...

1960) Hugh Grant...

1972) "ER"s Goran Visnjic...

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Through the years...

"All aboard...", a prince debuts, a late-night switch, X marks the spot, a TV western is born and "There she is, Miss America"...Now the headlines...

September 10 Memories...

1953) Swanson begins selling "TV dinners"...

1955) "Gunsmoke" premieres on CBS-TV...

1955) Bert Parks begins a 25-year career as host of the "Miss America Pageant" on NBC-TV...

1963) 20 black students enter public schools in Alabama following a standoff between federal marshalls and Alabama Governor George C. Wallace...

1966) "Last Train To Clarksville" is released by the Monkees...

1972) Gayle Sayers of the Bears retires...

1974) The Cardinals' Lou Brock sets a new major league baseball record for stolen bases as he swipes #105...

1989) Deion Sanders scores a touchdown in his NFL debut, 5 days after hitting a home run for the Yankees. He will become the first athlete to play in a World Series and Super Bowl...

1990) Will Smith makes his debut in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"...

1990) Ellis Island reopens as a museum...

1993) NBC-TV airs its last episode of "Late Night with David Letterman", Letterman will move to CBS-TV...

1993) "The X-Files" premieres, Scully and Mulder become household names...

1995) "NYPD Blue", "ER", "Frasier" and Candice Bergen are big winners at the 47th Emmy Awards...

2000) "The West Wing" wins a record 9 Emmy Awards including "Best Drama" series...

Happy Birthday to...

1929) Arnold Palmer...

1942) Three Dog Night's Danny Hutton...

1950) Aerosmith's Joe Perry...

1953) Amy Irving...

1963) Randy Johnson...

1968) Guy Ritchie...

1974) Ryan Phillippe...

Sunday, September 11, 2005...

America is attacked (feature story with commentary to follow)...

More September 11 Memories...

1941) Groundbreaking begins in Arlington, Virginia for the Pentagon...

1964) "Friday Night Fights" is seen for the last time as Gillette's TV contract ends...

1967) The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" is certified as a million seller...

1967) "The Carol Burnett Show" premieres on CBS-TV...

1970) The last "Get Smart" episode airs...

1971) Former Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev dies of a heart attack at 77...

1974) "Little House On The Prairie" makes its television debut...

1975) Aerosmith's self-titled debut album is certified gold...

1977) David Bowie and Bing Crosby record a duet version of "The Little Drummer Boy"...

1982) Chris Evert wins her 6th and final U.S. Open title in Forest Hills...

1983) Jimmy Connors wins his 5th and final U.S. Open title...

1985) Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb's record for hits with his 4,192nd hit...

1987) Peter Tosh is shot and killed by robbers in his home in Jamaica...

1987) The screen goes black for 6 minutes as Dan Rather walks off the set of "The CBS Evening News" because a tennis tournament ran overtime...

1994) The winners at the 46th Emmy Awards show include "Frasier", "Picket Fences" and Kelsey Grammer...

2002) Hall of Fame Quarterback Johnny Unitas leaves us at 69...

2003) The world is shocked by the sudden passing of John Ritter at 54...

Happy Birthday to...

1943) Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart...

1962) Kristy McNichol...

1963) Virginia ("Sideways") Madsen...

1965) Moby...

1967) Harry Connick, Jr...

Commentary...

Before entering the Viacom Building on a perfectly clear and cool September 11th morning, I was drawn to the giant ABC-TV screen in Times Square showing a gaping hole in one of the World Trade Center Towers. I asked CBS-FM engineering chief, Bill Prendergast what had happened. Bill who was listening to unfolding events on a police radio mentioned that a plane had gone into one of the WTC towers. I remember remarking that "That had to be a big plane". That was the start of one of the most horrible days I've ever lived through...

There would be no work done that day as everyone at the station was drawn to watching what followed. There would be a second plane crashing into the other WTC tower, then the reports of the Pentagon bombing and the plane that went down near Pittsburgh. The station would soon join the CBS radio network and only necessary staff members remained...

The Viacom Building was then evacuated and rather than take the elevator from the 40th floor, I took the staircase down. I had reached about 10 floors away from the lobby when I felt the impact and sound of an explosion, one of the towers had collapsed to the ground and I could feel it some 2 miles away from Ground Zero...

Walking home but not knowing what was coming next, I avoided the Empire State Building, decided not to walk east past the U.N. in case of further attacks which might make those sights attractive targets to terrorists and decided to walk through Central Park. People on the streets were either listening to radio or watching the events on small, hand-held TV's and it reminded me of getting an update on some important game not a catastrophe. The sound of the loud high-altitude F-16's protecting the city was a welcoming one...

For months the stench of human flesh and chemicals pervaded all parts of the city and there was a residue outside the windows of buildings, a reminder of the tragedy that we all witnessed...

It's funny what your mind helps you remember. On 911 I wore a red tie to work but just looking at it, no less thinking about wearing it again was enough to make me throw it out. It was one less thing to remind me of 911...