09/12/2026
September 11 has never been just a date in a history book for me.
I grew up in Florham Park, New Jersey. My hometown and the communities around us lost far too many people that day. These weren’t just names on the news. They were our neighbors, friends, parents, sons, daughters, firefighters, police officers, and people whose families would never be the same.
My father was in New York City on September 11, 2001. In the days that followed, my uncles were among those who went in to help. Like so many families from the New York and New Jersey area, 9/11 became personal for ours.
Years later, when John and I built our training facility, we wanted to make sure the next generation understood that 9/11 was more than something they read about in a textbook. We created a memorial wall where every student who comes through our doors can stop, look, and remember.
On that wall is the Flag of Honor, made from the names of those who lost their lives on September 11. Alongside it is an American flag that flew over Ground Zero.
Many of the young men and women we train today were not even alive on 9/11. That makes preserving this history even more important.
They need to see the names.
They need to understand that each name represents a person, a family, and a life that was taken.
They need to understand the courage of the firefighters, police officers, military members, first responders, and ordinary Americans who stepped forward when others needed them.
And they need to understand why we said, “Never Forget.”
Twenty-five years later, John and I still mean it.
We will remember those we lost. We will remember those who ran toward the danger. We will remember the families who carried the loss long after the rest of the world moved on.
And as long as students continue to walk through our doors, we will make sure they remember too.
Never Forget. 9/11/2001. 🇺🇸
