September 11 . . . fifteen years later.

Yesterday, NBC aired an interview with Andrew Card, who had been President George W. Bush's Chief of Staff on 9/11.  It was his duty to inform the president on that fateful morning that a second plane had flown into the other tower at the World Trade Center.

The president was on a tour in Florida, and he was sitting in a school classroom reading to a group of young children.   Just before he went in, he had been told the initial understanding that a small plane had hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center.  But a little later, the awful news came, and Andrew Card had to go into the classroom and interrupt to whisper in the president's ear those eleven historic words:   "A second plane hit the second tower.   America is under attack."

Andrew Card obviously has thought a lot about that day.  He is in New York for a memorial service at ground zero today.   The message he wanted to leave with the American people is this:

"Never forget the victims.  Never forget the heroes.  Never forget the obligation to protect Americans."

Ralph