I was in the shower, getting ready for work. My wife came into the bathroom, handed me the phone and said that it was my brother calling from Japan to tell me that something happened to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He said that someone flew a couple of planes into the WTC and they collapsed and the Pentagon was attacked also and was on fire. I thought he was joking and I said, “yeah, right!”

His voice got really serious and he said “get out of the frigging shower and turn on the T.V.”

Then I heard my wife yelling from the living room. She was saying “Oh my God, Darren come here fast! Look!” I got out and hurried just in time to see tape of each plane hitting, then a cut to video of the towers collapsing. I was dumbstruck. All I could say was “oh god, no.” Then they showed tape of all the chaos around the city and the people jumping from the windows before the collapse. It made me feel sick to see that. I think that was perhaps the part that made me get angry. To know that those innocent people were forced to make that decision.

My brother said he had to get off the phone to let someone else use it. He’s a Marine Lietenant and I was scared not knowing what was in store for him. We exchanged “I love you” and he was gone.

My thoughts then turned to Los Angeles, just 25 miles away where I work, and to the rest of my family.

That entire day will be burned into my memory for the rest of my life.