9/11 Experiences & Memories
A where-were-you day for this generation, remembered by guests whose lives ran through New York and the military.
For this generation, September 11th is a where-were-you memory, and it keeps surfacing on the show, especially with guests whose lives ran straight through New York and the military.
Vanessa Grigoriadis was in the city and remembers the surreal first moments. David La Torre still can't stand the anniversary, and describes the aftermath in raw detail. Jon Wellington served in the Navy through the period. And the hosts recall their own commute into the World Trade Center, and the day everything stopped.
These are personal, unpolished recollections of a day that reshaped the country these listeners were busy growing up in.
4 episodes exploring this theme
Episode 59 - GenX Speaks Series: Jon Wellington - The Dadbod Veteran
2/16/2026A sailor's view: serving in the Navy through 9/11.
Jon served in the Navy during 9/11 and reflects on that period from inside the service.
Episode 67 - GenX Speaks Series: Vanessa Grigoriadis - So Your Parents Are Old Podcast
6/5/2026In New York that morning, and the surreal first moments.
Vanessa recalls hearing something and wondering, is that a plane crashing into a building?
Episode 68 - GenX Speaks Series: Author David La Torre
6/13/2026The aftermath, the anniversary, and grief that never fully lifts.
David still dreads September 11th every year, and describes the aftermath in raw detail.
Episode 2 - Raising Kids, Building a Career and the Homefront
8/26/2024The hosts on commuting through the World Trade Center, and the day everything stopped.
The hosts remember taking the PATH into the World Trade Center, and the day everything halted.
Questions this theme answers
Who has first-hand 9/11 memories on the show?
Vanessa Grigoriadis (67) was in New York that morning, and David La Torre (68) speaks to the aftermath and the anniversary years later.
Is the military side covered?
Yes. Jon Wellington (59) served in the Navy during 9/11 and reflects on that period from inside the service.
Do the hosts share their own memory?
They do. One episode recalls commuting through the World Trade Center, and the day everything came to a halt.
Why does 9/11 keep coming up?
For GenX and elder millennials it was a defining adult-life moment, so it surfaces naturally when guests talk about that era.