On the morning of September 11, I was scheduled to fly with New Jersey’s Air National Guard on the final flight of their UH-1N Huey helicopter, which was being permanently retired. At the time, I was a Reporter for New Jersey Network ( NJN ), the PBS-affiliated TV station serving New Jersey. I arrived at the guard facility in West Trenton early that morning for a pre-flight briefing. But something very unexpected abruptly changed those plans. During the briefing we were informed that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Initially we were told it was a small, commuter plane. Shortly thereafter, we were informed a second plane collided into the towers, and it was clear that this was more than just an accident.

Over the next several hours we watched as the guard was mobilized to support the nation’s air defense systems. Fighter jets had been scrambled, and the guard played a key role flying military and VIP’s in the region because the air space for all commercial flights had been shut down. It was fascinating to observe on an otherwise tragic day. We watched and documented as the story we set out to cover story morphed into a far more compelling and emotional one.

Zack Fink is the Director of External Affairs in the Government Relations practice at Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP.

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