Never Forget

9/11 Tribute Passes 75 Million Hits

never.jpgJust in time for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, the hit counter for the Never Forget Tribute rolled past 75,000,000. We believe that the American People and the World can Never Forget the attacks that happened a decade ago. To do so would lull us into the complacency that was set up by the Clinton Administration which allowed the Islamic threat to materialize into the terrible events of 9/11.

About the Tribute

The animation was originally inspired by an anonymously-produced PowerPoint slideshow making the rounds on the Internet and via emails after 9/11. I gathered some of the graphics and produced the prototype of the graphic to display on my personal website. After refinements and improvements suggested by Damsel and others, it appears as it does today. This is the graphic seen in the right sidebar depicting the attacks on America by terrorists.

In August of 2005, I made the animation available to anyone. The offer was only taken by a few sites at first, but since then, many more have begun displaying the animation. As of December 2005, there were over 200 sites linking to it, and that number has been growing since. Sites in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Italy (and several other countries) display it on their pages.

The statistics counter in the sidebar just below the tribute indicates the approximate number of times that the tribute has been delivered to websites all over the nation and the world. Watch it for a few seconds to see it increment each time the tribute gets downloaded.

Ride for 9-11

ride.jpgI would like to call your attention to a current activity regarding the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11/2001. A group of California firefighters have launched their “Ride for 9-11” cross country cycling event.

The riders are trying to raise money for both the Leary Firefighters Foundation and the Wounded Warriors Project. Check out their website to read more.

RIDE FOR 9-11

We are a team of firefighters that will be cycling across the United States to honor those whose lives were lost 10 years ago on September 11, 2001 and those who continue to fight for our freedom and safety.

The Ride For 9-11 will commence July 24, 2011 in Hollywood CA and end in New York City at the FDNY Firefighters Memorial on September 9, 2011.

By the way, the Never Forget Tribute counter (seen in the right sidebar) is on schedule to surpass 75 million hits by 9-11.

Remembering the USS Cole

cole1.jpgTen long years have gone by and the US Government – Clinton, Bush and Obama – have done nothing to retaliate for the vicious Islamic Terrorism act, the bombing of the USS Cole. The current President even had a Judge drop the charges last year. That’s disgusting behavior, but typical of the invertebrate occupying the Oval Office these days.

About the same time the charges were dropped, we made the modification to the animated “Never Forget” tribute seen in the sidebar to include the USS Cole sequence. I was in contact with Gary Swenchonis, Sr., who provided me with feedback on the Tribute. Gary is the father of Fireman Gary Swenchonis, Jr., who perished in the attack on the USS Cole. Gary Sr. asked if I could provide a tribute to the Cole victims and I was honored to include it.

You can read the ten year anniversary post by Gary Swenchonis, Sr. at his website, Terrorism: Politicians and Victims.

Patriot Day 2010 – Nine Years After the Attack

Just in time for Patriot Day 2010, our Never Forget Tribute just ticked over 65 million views.

Buck Up for Wounded Warriors will be having a car show and riding their motorcycles in a police and fire-escorted 9/11 parade in Prescott, AZ today. Visit their site for details.

As we have done for several years, we are again honoring our 9/11 victim, Mark Zeplin and all the victims of Islamic Terrorism:


Damsel and I are very proud to be able to honor Marc Scott Zeplin on the eighth anniversary of the Islamic Terrorist Attacks against America on September 11, 2001 and to be part of the 2996 Project. This is the fourth year we have posted about Marc Scott Zeplin.

Zep” is what his friends called him. Zep was one of the 2996 victims who perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Marc Scott Zeplin, age 33.

Place killed: World Trade Center. Resident of Harrison, N.Y. (USA).

Marc Zeplin worked in the World Trade Center offices of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company. Reading what Marc’s friends and family have written about him, Marc was well-liked and respected by peers, friends and others who wrote words about him following his death.

The following is from Zep’s tribute at the memorial site that his company set up to remember their employees that were lost in the attack:

Date of Birth: January 12, 1968

Department: Equity Sales

A group of friends named and registered a star in the heavens in memory of Marc Zeplin. How fitting as he was a star in the eyes of so many.

Successful as an equity trader, he formed close relationships with his clients but he was foremost a family man. Marc was very caring and devoted to his wife Debra, sons Ryan (3 yrs old) and Ethan (10 months), parents, sister and in-laws. He adored his children and treasured the time he spent with them. Marc was very proud of the new home he and his wife built in Westchester and enjoyed the change from urban to suburban living.

Raised in Long Island, Marc attended Oceanside High School and the University of Michigan where he also continued to earn a master’s degree in the acclaimed business school. Marc’s first career calling was sports casting. He loved sports of all kinds and enjoyed broadcasting games in Michigan during his college years. However, when he returned to New York, he found immediate employment in the financial world and soon after started at Cantor Fitzgerald where he became a partner.

Marc was truly a “master of the word.” He knew how and what to say in order to put you at ease, make you laugh or help you resolve a problem. Marc loved people. He had many friends and demonstrated a zest for living life to the fullest. He was tops in every way. He even worked at the top. The right position for so many years unfortunately was wrong on only one day – September 11, 2001.

Debra Zeplin and Leora Zeplin, Marc’s Wife and Mother.

Please join us today as we remember Marc Zeplin and the rest of the victims of those attacks, and please, NEVER FORGET.