9-11 Is A Somber Day In My Life

Today is a day of thought and reflection for me. My first 9-11 event was in 1973 when I found myself in Santiago, Chile when the military coup erupted. I could not believe what was happening. I was staying at a Sheraton Hotel and dared not leave. All of a sudden, I saw US Army officers all over the place. I Was told to go to my room and not to leave. I was confined to my room for 10 days. I was allowed to leave after signing an agreement saying that if I talked about anything that I saw, I would face ten years in a US prison under the Espionage Act. Two US citizens were killed by the Chilean Army. My second 9-11 event came in 1998. I arrived in Houston and could not stay there. I had $200 to my name. I bought a bus ticket to San Jose, California. I wanted to find my ex-wife and make contact with a news reporter named Gary Webb. I had a lot of information on CIA involvement in drug dealing. Gary was investigating this matter. My belongings were in several cardboard boxes. I rode the bus for two days to get to San Jose. It was as sunny and glorious afternoon when I arrived. I was full of optimism and hope. I found a room in a $30 a night hotel. It was clean and nice. My third 9-11 event happened on a sunny Friday afternoon in the Willow Glen section of San Jose. I was eating dinner at the Crowne Plaza Mexican restaurant. A man named Paul Lir Alexander who I thought a was a friend told me to go there and that he would call me. He never called. 6 US Marshals came in. I was arrested for civil contempt of court for failure to bey a judge's order and report to a federal official. I was handcuffed. I was hauled to the Santa Clara County jail. I was given paperwork telling me that I was facing 18 months in prison. My fourth 9-11 event happened on Tuesday in the year 2001. I was working at Telewave, Inc. A television was brought out and turned on. I watched in horror as I saw jet airliners crashing into the two huge twin towers in New York City Washington, DC was under attack. Was World War III starting. I called my wife Elena and my son Pedro to make sure that they were all right. I could not believe what was happening in my country.