September 11, 2001: Feeling Numb, Sad, And At A Loss For Words

September 11, 2001. If you were alive on that day, you’ll never forget where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the tragic news. Certainly, we here in the United States had not lived through an attack on our nation like that since the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. These are my memories of what it was like being a radio broadcaster on 9/11.

As I mentioned before, none of us will ever forget where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. My Mother still lived back east in New Hampshire at that time. She rang our phone shortly after 7 a.m. Pacific Time. I was too groggy to even answer the phone, but in my sleepiness, I heard her shout on the answering machine: “Larry, turn on the TV! Something terrible is happening in New York City! We’re being attacked!”

By the time I wiped the sleep out of my eyes and turned on the TV, both towers of the World Trade Center had already been hit and were on fire. The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. had also been attacked.

However, I watched in total shock, horror, and disbelief, as the first tower crumpled to the ground on live television. Undoubtedly, it felt like I was watching a computer graphic effect in a Hollywood movie. “Is this really happening,” I thought? Well, it was.

In general, you surely know how the rest of that tragic day unfolded. If not, there are plenty of articles on the internet which offer details. At that time, I was the afternoon host on Star 102.7 here in Las Vegas. Remember “The 80s Station?” Our program director had the morning show switch over to network news broadcasts as soon as he confirmed the news. It just did not seem appropriate to play music or air commercials.

In fact, we did not play any music the rest of that day. The following day, starting with the morning show, we let our listeners express their feelings about what we were living through. The 9-11 attacks were a shocking and humbling experience for all of us.

Subsequently, we did begin playing songs, but we were very careful about not playing certain inappropriate titles. Consequently, being on the air for me was so different. We were sad and hurt. Knowing what to say and how to say it when I opened the microphone was all new to me.

Even though I was a 20-year radio professional at the time, it was very difficult coming up with the right words, phrases, and emotional expressions. Furthermore, as the days progressed, we did not want to keep dwelling on the tragedy. Walking that fine line between sadness, happiness, and wanting to get back to normal life was one of the most difficult things to determine.

Unfortunately, we Las Vegans would live through another heart-breaking and senseless tragedy on 1 October in 2017. I surely hope we never have to live through anything like that ever again.

You may have seen the article we posted last week about the winning design for the 1 October Memorial. There were five companies who submitted bids. Ultimately, the Clark County 1 October Memorial Committee recommends the JCJ Architecture design. The title: "Forever One."

The JCJ Architecture website goes into great detail about the inspiration for the “Forever One” design. Specifically, inspiration arose based on several listening sessions with various segments of the Las Vegas community. First, they spoke to family members of the 58 concertgoers who perished that night.

After that, listening sessions were also conducted with emergency responders, survivors, and other fans attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival in October 2017. JCJ Architecture also listened to groups of community members who have been impacted by that tragic event even though they did not attend the concert.

JCJ Architecture’s website goes on to mention what they learned from those listening sessions. First and foremost, the memorial would need space to remember the 58 people who died there. Community members noted that there should be a feeling of strength and courage in the design. Additionally, JCJ Architecture is now aware of our community's need for healing and uniting.

Surprisingly, JCJ Architecture also invited the general public to submit “creative expressions” which would honor the victims, survivors, emergency responders, and other groups affected by the tragedy. Those submissions also provided inspiration.

In my opinion, one of the most intriguing aspects of their design proposal may not be noticeable when walking through the 1 October Memorial. In fact, you will notice its unique design better from above. Even though we live here, it’s still a thrill to fly into Las Vegas and see all the lights of the Strip and our growing city.

With that in mind, the “Forever One” memorial design represents the infinity symbol. Therefore, those 18 million or so airline passengers who fly into our airport will view the memorial from above. By and large, they will see a unique “expression of light” against the rest of the Las Vegas landscape. It should be breathtaking and very emotional. Final approval for this project is expected sometime in September 2023.

Scroll down to see some amazing artist renderings of what JCJ Architecture hopes to build on the Las Vegas Strip.

Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

Follow us: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram