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September 11, 2026September 11, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

September 11th, 2001 How The Day’s Events Unfolded

September 11, 2026

_{^{We Will Never Forget September 11, 2001}}

The Morning Everything Changed

For me, September 11, 2001, began as an average day.

There was nothing about that morning that suggested history was about to interrupt ordinary life.

It was just before 9:00 a.m. I had stopped at the Mayor’s Office in Wichita, Kansas, to drop off schedules and some other papers. After finishing there, I stepped into the elevator to head down toward the Chief of Police’s Office.

Several other people were riding with me.

Then my phone rang.

city skyline during night time — ^{_{Photo by Philip Warp on Pexels.com}}

At that time, it still wasn’t especially common for everyone to be carrying a cell phone the way we do today. I looked at the incoming number and knew immediately that I probably needed to answer it.

I barely had time to offer a greeting.

I was told to stop what I was doing and get over to the Wichita Eagle as quickly as possible to monitor what I could from the wire.

There had been an attack on the World Trade Center.

That was all I knew.

I made my way toward my vehicle, still trying to understand what I had just been told.

Then another call came.

A second airplane had struck the other tower.

I remember saying aloud, almost in disbelief:

“What? An airplane just hit the towers? Two of them?”

The people standing nearby looked at me in shock.

They wanted to know what was happening.

I told them the only thing I could tell them with any certainty:

Get to a television or a radio.

It appeared our nation was under attack.

By the time I arrived at the Wichita Eagle, the newsroom—or bullpen, as we called it—was unusually quiet.

It was full of reporters, but there was none of the ordinary newsroom chatter.

I stood just outside the room on the landing, watching television monitors and listening as the Associated Press wire sounded with update after update.

Someone would grab the latest report and read it aloud.

New York.

Then Pennsylvania.

Then Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Each update seemed worse than the one before it.

You could feel the realization spreading through the room that this was not going to be a normal news day.

It was going to be a very long day.

None of us standing there could have known just how long its shadow would become.

September 11 would destroy thousands of lives in a matter of hours. It would leave families grieving, reshape national security, change the way Americans traveled, and alter the direction of the country.

But history also has a strange way of reaching into individual lives in ways we cannot immediately see.

That day ultimately became part of the chain of events that changed my own life.

The economic and employment changes that followed would eventually lead Steve and me away from Kansas and the lower Great Plains and toward Arizona.

We went from winters of ice, snow, and cold prairie winds to the Sonoran Desert and summers measured in heat waves.

airplane over american flags near washington monument — _{^{Photo by Ramaz Bluashvili on Pexels.com}}

Years earlier, I had made Steve a promise that someday we would live in Phoenix.

I simply believed that “someday” was still twenty years away.

Life had other plans.

There is something almost impossible to reconcile about that.

A national tragedy that brought unimaginable grief to so many families also became one of the forces that redirected countless other lives.

Mine was one of them.

That does not lessen the tragedy.

If anything, it reminds me how far the consequences of a single day can travel.

A person can wake up believing they know exactly what tomorrow will look like.

Then the telephone rings.

A television screen changes.

A headline appears.

And suddenly the future takes a road no one had planned to travel.

That is what I remember most about September 11.

Not only the towers.

Not only the newsroom.

Not only the sound of the wire delivering one terrible update after another.

I remember how completely ordinary the morning had been just moments before.

And perhaps that is the lasting lesson.

We never really know which ordinary morning will become the dividing line between before and after.

So love the people around you.

Say what needs to be said.

Keep the promises that matter.

And never assume that because today began ordinarily, tomorrow is guaranteed to look the same.

Some mornings quietly become history.

Another Report Has Surfaced About Cherry Trees Disappearing In D.C.

July 3, 2026July 3, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

Groff Media ©2026 benandsteve.com Truth Endures  July 3, 2026

This Time it is for a Golf Course.

On April 1, 2026, benandsteve.com published a completely fictional story claiming that Washington, D.C.’s famous cherry trees were being removed. The article was intentionally written as an April Fools’ Day story, and its closing paragraphs made that clear. It was satire—nothing more.

Or so we thought.

Only a few weeks later, we learned that cherry trees actually were being removed as part of a project to stabilize and rebuild the aging seawall surrounding the Tidal Basin. That unexpected twist prompted us to update the original blog, noting that reality had begun to resemble fiction. Seen here.

Now, on July 2, 2026, another unexpected development has surfaced. Reports indicate that plans for a major redesign of the historic East Potomac Golf Links—championed by President Donald Trump—could require the removal of Washington’s oldest grove of cherry trees to make way for a championship golf course. According to published reports, preliminary design plans appear to eliminate the century-old grove along with other public recreational features, although the proposal is already facing legal challenges and has not yet received all required approvals.

It makes one wonder if April Fools’ Day simply arrived three months early. What began as a joke has twice been followed by headlines that sounded remarkably similar. Sometimes the hardest stories to believe are the ones that eventually become real.

George Washington never cut down a cherry tree. The story says that when confronted, he told his father, “I cannot lie.”

Whether the tale is true or not, it has long symbolized the value Americans once hoped to see in their leaders: honesty.

The current occupant of the office appears to have little difficulty doing both—cutting down the proverbial cherry tree and denying it afterward—without so much as a whisper of objection from many of his political peers!

To catch the read on the NEWSWEEK report about the disappearing cherry trees click here.

WHITE HOUSE ORDERS REMOVAL OF ALL D.C. CHERRY TREES; TEXAS TO ASSIST WITH DISPOSAL

April 1, 2026May 6, 2026Benjamin2 Comments

Reaction on Capitol Hill was swift—and, at times, confused.

By: B.H.Groff II Groff Media 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a move that has surprised residents, historians, and seasonal tourists alike, the White House has issued an executive directive calling for the immediate removal of all cherry trees within the District of Columbia.

According to preliminary details released late Monday evening, the plan calls for the trees—long associated with the city’s springtime identity—to be cut down and processed for transport out of the nation’s capital.

Administration officials described the decision as part of a broader “landscape reassessment initiative,” though specifics surrounding the timing and necessity of the removal remain unclear.

“We’re clearing them out. Making room for more air and real estate!”

“This is about taking a fresh look at long-standing traditions and evaluating their place in a modern framework,” one official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “No element, no matter how iconic, is exempt from review.”

The cherry trees, many of which trace their origins to a 1912 gift from Japan, have been a defining feature of Washington’s Tidal Basin and surrounding areas for more than a century. Each year, the blossoms draw visitors from around the world during peak bloom.

Despite their cultural significance, crews have reportedly already begun staging equipment near key locations, with early removal efforts expected to begin within days.

TEXAS TO PLAY KEY ROLE IN DISPOSAL

In an unexpected interstate partnership, officials confirmed that the State of Texas has agreed to assist in the disposal process.

Under the arrangement, National Guard units from Texas would be deployed to Washington to process the felled trees, converting them into wood chips for transport back to the state.

Sources familiar with the plan say the material is expected to be repurposed for use in large-scale outdoor cooking operations, particularly during football season.

“We understand Texas has both the capacity and the appreciation for this kind of resource,” one official noted. “They see it as a practical solution.”

Texas officials have not released a formal statement but are said to be “fully prepared” to mobilize personnel once federal clearance is finalized.

“The Cherry Trees changed into woodchips would be perfect for smoking meats at football tailgate parties”

“The Cherry Trees changed into woodchips would be perfect for smoking meats at football tailgate parties” according to Texas officials.

CONGRESS WEIGHS IN

Reaction on Capitol Hill was swift—and, at times, confused, as lawmakers attempted to clarify both the intent and implications of the proposed cherry tree removal.

“It goes toward the whole DUI thing,” said one longtime, hood-covered House member, before being quietly corrected by a senator who clarified it was DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“We don’t have to have cherry trees for equality,” the senator added, “but they are nice for flavoring vodka.”

Another lawmaker expressed frustration with the annual bloom. “These white flowery things get everywhere,” he said. “It’s a damn mess if you get a bunch of them in your hair.”

Not all were in favor of the removal.

“You know how bad this place is going to smell without them?” one visibly irritated member asked. “At least the trees covered up some of it.”

One senior committee chair, speaking in a tone usually reserved for matters of national security, offered a more technical justification.

“Cherry trees create a false sense of seasonal stability,” he said. “When citizens begin to expect predictable blooming cycles, it undermines our broader messaging on uncertainty. Removing them restores balance.”

While no formal vote has yet been scheduled, sources indicate bipartisan discussions are ongoing, with several members privately acknowledging they were unaware the trees were not, in fact, native to Texas.

PUBLIC REACTION MIXED

Residents and visitors expressed a range of reactions as news of the directive spread.

“I don’t know what Washington looks like without them,” said one local resident near the Tidal Basin. “It’s like taking away spring.”

“I don’t know what Washington looks like without them,” said one local resident near the Tidal Basin. “It’s like taking away spring.”

Tourism officials are reportedly monitoring the situation closely, with some expressing concern over the potential economic impact if the trees are removed before peak bloom.

Others, however, appeared less concerned.

“They’re just trees,” one passerby said. “I’m more worried about parking.”

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE UNCLEAR

Federal agencies have yet to release a detailed timeline for the project, though internal memos suggest the work could begin as early as this week.

Environmental groups have not yet issued formal responses, but several advocacy organizations indicated they are reviewing the directive.

As crews prepare for what could be one of the most visible changes to the city’s landscape in decades, officials continue to emphasize that the effort is part of a broader evaluation of federal properties.

No official cost estimate has been released.

FINAL NOTE

Officials confirmed the directive will take effect at midnight on April 1st.

One senator from Texas is reportedly backing the measure with a special addendum, citing concerns he said arose during a recent winter vacation to Cancun. According to the senator, a video he viewed on YouTube suggested the original cherry trees—gifted by Japan in 1912—may have been engineered with embedded surveillance capabilities.

“Given what we now know,” he stated, “it would be irresponsible not to take a closer look.”

In the end, the cherry trees remain—and so does the tradition of April Fools’ Day.

“Trump may be first U.S. President to mythically cut down a cherry tree since George Washington,” top aide says!

*No trees were harmed in the making of this report—only expectations. Happy April Fools’ Day.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The “Final Note” in this story tells you this piece is satire—but in today’s climate, it doesn’t feel nearly as far-fetched as it should. As you move through the rest of the year, keep this in mind. We are living in a time when reality often outpaces even our most exaggerated imagination.

Benjamin