9-11

Greetings:

In the name of the House of Old-School, I join those of you who are so inclined in remembering those who lost their lives in the savage attacks on the World
Trade Center, the Pentagon, and that unintended field in Pennsylvania, on this date five years ago.  I further salute and remember those, both living and
dead, who risked their lives to save those trapped in the two buildings.  I cannot claim to be fully conversant with all the intricacies of the War on
Terror and the enemies it seeks to defeat, but one thing is certain--these are dangerous people of whom we should beware and seek to thwart when what they
do attempts to undermine civilized society! 

So, as is often asked on or near this day, where were you, and what were you doing, when these events occurred five years ago?  I was in a small town in
Massachusetts, and, on that morning, went to a medical facility to take care of something related to a chronic condition I have.  I believe it was while
I was in the waiting room that someone broke the news of the initial attack, and I seem to recall sharing what I had heard with someone else while taking
care of my matter.  Further discussion followed on the way back to where I was staying, and, of course, there would be much more on the radio and television
throughout the remainder of the day.  Though, as regulars to this house should know, this is not my primary sort of music, I listened that evening to a
little of the syndicated adult-contemporary disc jockey called Dalilah, and she was seeking to be a comfort at the end of that difficult day.  It was gratifying
to me that, in the following days and even months, there was a fair amount of patriotic music on the radio, and one station continued playing the National
Anthem at noon for quite a while.  It is said that tragedies can unify, and this was _CERTAINLY_ the case then. 

Did any of you participate in one of the several America Supports You Freedom Walks held throughout the country yesterday?  Ours here in Washington was
the second such, and I had the privilege and pleasure of walking in them both.  This year's was, in virtually all respects, the exact opposite of last
year's.  Last year's went from the Pentagon to the western part of the Mall in the morning while this year's went from the western edge of the Washington
Monument Grounds to the Pentagon in the evening.  Last year's ended with a concert by a country-music singer whose name I forget, and this year's began
with country music from the Navy's country-music unit, Country Current.  I arrived on the grounds close to 5:30 p.m., and a nice woman, whose husband is
a World-War-II Marine Veteran, accompanied me into the front area where, in due course, she connected me with a volunteer who would remain with me for
the rest of the evening.  She, with help from some of her colleagues, was able to get me in touch with a contingent from the PGA who I was told would be
there, and one of them gave me his business card which hopefully will result in golf-related things for me down the road.  During the walk itself, among
others, I was privileged to meet a couple of Air Force officers, one of them a recently-retired general, who both know a major general I met at last year's
Navy/Air-Force football game in Annapolis.  There was also, surprisingly yet gratifyingly to me, a group from a Washington school, and hopefully those
youngsters were able to appreciate and be moved by that in which they were participating.  All seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the at-least-partial
solemnity of the occasion.  Yet, in addition to the 9-11 Anniversary tributes, and though not much was said about it last night, we were presumably also
celebrating and saluting those who now wear the Uniform, which, after all, is the primary focus of America Supports You.  The Navy Band was playing when
we reached the Pentagon, and, when all were assembled, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Hon. Gordon England, spoke briefly on behalf of Secretary Rumsfeld,
Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Pace, having well spoken before the walk.  Then Miss Denise (or Denis?) Graves, a fine American opera and concert singer
in my opinion and one who is often heard at events such as this, gave us three songs with guitar accompaniment, "America The Beautiful," "An American Anthem"
(which, as you may recall, she also sang at President Bush's second inauguration), and, after lights were lit honouring those who died in the Pentagon
on 9-11, "God Bless America."  After this, tours were offered of the Memorial Room and Chapel in the reconstructed section of the building where the plane
had struck, but I had already toured these with the general public the previous day.  Yet, since we were moved through quickly out of consideration for
those still waiting, I was not able to experience as much as I might have personally wished, including anything that could have been touched. 

I also wish the families of those who died that day as fine a day as they possibly can have, and further, as usual, wish visitors to this house well. 

Respectfully submitted, 

J. V.