Twenty-five years ago…25!!!! On September 11th, 2001, I woke early to go to a Chamber of Commerce meeting. It was a beautiful sunny day. I walked through the front door of the office and everyone including the men were crying. The president of the Chamber was standing with his hand over his mouth, tears running down his face. They ALL were standing in total disbelief and fear!!! That is how I found out the tragedy that those evil forces rained on our country that day. Those who died woke up like me, grabbed breakfast, got dressed, some put their kids in daycare, said hello to co-workers…and then the nightmare that unfolded NO ONE saw coming! Countless stories of heroism, patriotism, and LOVE also happened in those hours and days after. Thousands of lives were forever changed. Babies born never knew one of their parents, fathers didn’t walk their daughters down the aisle. I have been under New York City in the 9/11 Memorial, seen one of the sets of stairs people tried to escape on, been to DC to the Pentagon and read the names of the children in the Day Care and the names of those on the planes on the rows of benches. My goal for 2027 is to visit the field in Pennsylvania where real heroes took their own lives fighting the hijackers to save people on the ground in D.C.

Twenty-five years later memorials still occur. There are two this month whose ads are in the magazine. Fire & Iron will have one out of Mt. Dora AMVETS ending at Gator H-D on 9/12. The Knights of Inferno and the Punishers MC will have one on 9/13 in Bunnell. I am certain wherever you live there will be a memorial. I hope you will take the time to find one and honor those first responders, the innocent victims and everyday heroes that lost their lives because of idiots that hate what America stands for. For 19 years Thunder Roads Florida has been attended the ride in Bunnell I am always amazed that hundreds still show up each year. I would expect this to be one of the largest ever. We cannot be there this year as we will be in the mountains that week, but someone representing us will be at both. One last thing here and I get hate mail when I get political, but how can New York City…the apple of capitalism…elect someone that stands with those who harmed New York and hates the very things New York is known for? WE MUST NEVER FORGET!