In 2001, my old army buddy Rick was an intelligence analyst posted to the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff in Washington. He worked in an office with windows that faced I-395 and the south side of the Pentagon.

Rick was sitting at his desk, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the news from New York, when the third aircraft appeared out of nowhere and thumped in.

My ol' buddy was always a little more tightly wrapped than the rest of us, but after that he was wound up like a dollar watch. I don't think the several tours in Afghanistan did him much good, either.

He lives in the country now, and spends most of his time on his boat or playing with his grandchildren.