Good day to all of you.  Today marks the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.  I still remember standing on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center looking out the window when I visited my brother, Wolfgang, who was an employee at Cantor Fitzgerald.  My brother worked on their emerging markets trading desk.  One of my brother’s great friends at the firm was John Wallice (a.k.a. the Rocket).  He was known as the Rocket because he could hit a golf ball so far.

On the day of the attacks, I was sitting at my desk in Vienna, Virginia at a startup we had built.  Literally, 10 seconds after the first plane hit, I received a phone call from someone in Switzerland who was worried about the attack.  I told my fellow employees and we all rushed into the conference room and turned on the TV.  We then saw the 2nd plane hit.  I knew it was terrorist related.

Fortunately, after working there for 3 years, my brother had left Cantor in June 1999 to pursue other opportunities.  I immediately called my brother, who was working in another Wall Street firm, and told him to get in a cab and take it to Connecticut.  I told him to go regardless of what anyone said, in case there might be another attack.  Unfortunately, New York was in chaos and it wasn’t easy to get a cab.  My brother went to Central Park and just waited.  He described the situation as follows:  “New York was a war zone.  Cell phones didn’t work, cabs weren’t to be found.  It was like Pearl Harbor.”

The Rocket, unfortunately, still worked at Cantor.  He did not make it.  He left behind a wife and three children.  He was one of the many who suffered greatly on this day.  It is unfortunate that so many cowards exist, that choose to attack the innocent.

Video on Rebuilding the World Trade Center Area:  http://cnnmon.ie/TFv3iV