Saturday will be the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a tragic day that is embedded of all of our memories. September 11 began as a routine morning as I drove down to the State Department in Washington to photograph visiting dignitaries from another nation. In photojournalism circles, such an event is called a “grip and grin” shot.

But a vibration from my Blackberry bought up a message that said: “Explosion. Pentagon. Get there.”

A day that began with a routine assignment turned into one of the most horrible days in American history and I worked through the day, most of the night and the week that followed photographing the pain, misery, tragedy and heroism.

Let’s stop and remember those who worked so hard to save lives and died trying, along with the thousands who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the fourth hijacked commercial jetliner that passengers brought down and prevented it to be used to attack Washington, DC, on Sept. 11, 2001.