“On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was serving as the director of operations at New Jersey Air National Guard headquarters. I was also a mission-qualified F-16 pilot with the 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic City.

“Like millions of fellow Americans, I expected an ordinary Tuesday. Within minutes, everything changed. When the second airliner struck the South Tower, every doubt vanished. This was no accident. America was under attack.”