On 9/10/2001 I flew out of Kennedy Airport on America West to Las Vegas for a 3 night’s stay at Harrah’s. I picked up my car rental and  checked into Harrah’s and enjoyed the afternoon and evening in Las Vegas and returned to the hotel for what should have been a good night’s sleep. Instead, the toilet kept flushing all night, the TV didn’t work, and in the AM the shower curtain wasn’t long enough to prevent the bathroom floor from being flooded. It was 6:40 am, Las Vegas time, 9:40 am NY time. I was disgusted, packed my bags and went down to the front desk to change my room. . The front desk person said “you got in today at the airport?” I assumed that that there was some type of job action so I explained to her that I had arrived the previous day but found my room unacceptable. She then realized that I was from NYC and she told me that she was sorry about the tragedy. I asked her what tragedy and she said planes crashed into the trade center. She said all planes were ordered to land at the closest airports and there were several planes unaccounted for.  It didn’t sink in at first. She changed my room to one in the Mardi Gras Tower and then I saw the TV Broadcast of the World Trade Center on every large screen TV in the Casino hotel. For some reason, it was clear to me that both towers were going to collapse. Jet fuel is highly flammable and burns very hot.  It was eerie being in Las Vegas having no planes or helicopters flying overhead.  I visited Texas Station, a casino close to Nellis Air Force Base and spoke to the Naval Officers who were getting their orders .  Three days later, America West put me on a 7:30pm flight home to JFK. As we approached NYC, the pilot told us that he received permission to fly next to the World Trade Center Site. As we flew down the Hudson River towards Kennedy  I saw a glow of fire in the night sky. We passed by the smoking remains of the World Trade Center Towers. It was a memory I will NEVER forget.