September 11, 2001

The date was September 11, 2001. It would be a day I would never forget and a day that the entire population of the United States of America would never forget as well. It was because of what all of us would experience that day. It seemed just like any other day when I woke up, and it was time for my daily morning dose of Howard Stern, the notorious and infamous Shock Jock, broadcasting his usual radio show of adult humor and commentary. I tuned into WCCC-FM, 106.9, emanating from Hartford, Connecticut. Howard Stern was broadcasting from the studios of WKTU-FM, or K-Rock, in New York, New York, otherwise known as Manhattan. WCCC-FM was picking up the Howard Stern Show in syndication. As I started listening to Howard Stern that morning, the airwaves weren’t filled with his usual hard hitting raucous humor. Rather, he was broadcasting the play by play unfolding of events taking place in Manhattan like a sports caster. “The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center have been impacted by two hijacked airliners, piloted by member of a subversive terrorist group determined to cause a major attack on and disruption of the United States. A major explosion has taken place at the World Trade Center,” Stern said. “The New York Fire Department Rescue Squads have arrived at the World Trade Center, and are swarming inside and the damage done to the World Trade Center is escalating. Hundreds of people are known to be inside,” Stern explained. “Hundreds of people are known to be inside the World Trade Center, which has turned into a fire ball. The entire structures of the World Trade Center are collapsing due to the impact of the hijacked jet airliners. Included among those inside are member of the New York City Fire Department,” Stern said. ‘The entire World Trade Center has been reduced to rubble. There are probably hundreds of people, many of them who have perished, who are inside and lie in the remains of the buildings,” Stern explained. “All of Manhattan Island is in a state of chaos and panic. There is widespread disorder and mayhem throughout the entire City. Many people are rushing to cross the bridges which connect Manhattan with the Bronx in order to escape the Island and get to the other side,” Stern said. “The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center has been so disruptive that it would take some period of time for some calm and order to be restored,” Stern explained. That day was the first one that I ever heard Howard Stern acting like a sportscaster broadcasting the play by play unfolding of events concerning a major incident. I always expect the raucous and sometimes offensive adult humor which Stern was famous for. However, on September 11, 2001, Howard Stern displayed more of his true style.