Dennis DuBard, woke up to tranquility on North Island on 9/11. Within short order, he found himself being flown to the USS Peleliu as its Commanding Officer. The USS Peleliu under his command took the first Marines to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. His advice for future generations: “Humility and kindness can take…

David Varcardipone, SDPD Police officer and Coast Guard Reservist, found himself in Italy with a young child back in San Diego. His first thought was “this is our Pearl Harbor” as he then navigated the long and difficult journey to return to his son and his duties. His advice to future generations: think “what about…

Dr. Jeffry Haber, entrepreneur, author, Professor, and financial professional, discusses his emotional connection to the World Trade Center. From experiencing the Towers while under construction as a Boy Scout to the one inch of ash having fallen on eastern Brooklyn when they fell, the Towers were bookends of nearly 30 formative years. Whether it was…

Maurice Wilson, a passionate 26 year Navy Corpsman and advocate and leader for all things military, discusses the day which struck close to the heart and his feeling that “I can’t believe this is happening to us.” His advice for young Americans: Be Righteous Never Forget. God Bless America.

Peter Sibley, a successful entrepreneur, enjoying the unbelievable optimism of the early Internet years, was in NYC having just completed a significant capital raise for his business. Little did he know the impact on the nation, the world, and in many respects, the hyper-optimism of many internet pioneers which was about to come. Peter’s thoughts…

Jack Tilley, the 12th Sergeant Major of the Army, was in his office at the Pentagon when the Towers were struck, left to head to Fort Myer, and returned to the Pentagon just as the plane hit, killing 125 Americans. In what he described as “one of the worst days of his life” SMA Tilley…

With San Diego’s very specific connection to the terrorists who attacked America, Drew Schlosberg, an executive with the San Diego Union-Tribune, was on the front lines of an “all journalists on deck” call to immediately prepare a special edition of the paper. Listen to Drew’s memories of the UT’s leader, Herb Klein, make the decision…

The riveting story of Adm. Dave Steindl, then serving as Capital of the USS John Paul Jones, the ship which would fire the first shot on October 7, 2001. Having spent the summer at sea in the Persian Gulf, the John Paul Jones remained in the theater until it emptied its 90-missile magazine on October…

Ed Hiner, best-selling author and 20 Year Navy SEAL discusses his road from 9/11, working as a BUD/S Training Officer to his insertion into an ultra-elite Task Force Black unit with the British Special Forces to bring the war on terrorism to Iraq and Afghanistan. Known as the Sheriff of Ramadi, Ed reflects on the…

James Brennan, successful entrepreneur, with roots in Rockaway Beach, NY, a community filled with first responders from FDNY and NYPD, shares his vivid memories, anger, pain, and how he filled the hole with a focus on service to his two communities of NY and San Diego. As he reflected on his concerns for the next…