Do you remember 9/11? Unlike World War II, where 'Remember Pearl Harbor!' was a constantly—enunciated slogan, meant to inspire and motivate warriors and home—fronters alike, we barely ever see or hear any references to the worst—ever attack on the American homeland.

Thus, it comes as a welcome surprise to see Hollywood, of all places, providing us with yesterday's release of the DVD version of the Oscar Щ winning documentary Twin Towers. The title refers both to the former WTC and to two brothers, Joseph Vigiano and John Vigiano, who rushed to the WTC, Joe as a police officer, and John as a fireman, and who both perished. The brothers Vigiano were twin towers of virtue.

By sheer coincidence, TV producer Dick Wolf (Law and Order) was filming a pilot episode for a reality—TV series about a police unit, and was covering Joe's group, the NYPD Emergency Services Squad 3. When the planes hit the WTC, ESS 3 and the TV cameras immediately went into action.

To tell the truth, I had never once in my life given a thought to the sort of training and the sort of human beings necessary to rescue people who had crashed through thin ice on a wintertime river, or who climbed up a bridge to jump off, and then were dissuaded. That is the sort of extraordinary thing the extraordinary people of the Emergency Services Squad do every day. A good portion of the film concerns what it takes to even want to join such an elite unit, much less succeed in getting in and surviving the ultra—hazzardous work.

Wolff's cameras showed how these everyday heroes reacted to the worst day in the history of New York. If you watch this DVD (and you should) you will see and hear things which will inspire you, tear at your heart, and lead you to deeper understanding of the sort of people who are the genuine heart and soul of America.

The Vigiano brothers followed in the footsteps of their father, a retired New York City fireman. The family embodies a way of life and a spirit which have sustained this country since the time of the Revolution. Courage, excellence, service, and aspiration. The parents, who have lost so much, are an inspiration to the rest of us, in the way they have handled their loss.

For an all too brief moment, America fell in love with the blue collar heroes of New York City. The police and fire fighters, but also the construction workers who labored tirelessly to excavate the ruins of the WTC and pay honors to the remains to of those entombed there. This disc offers a chance to not just recapture those times, but also understand the profound values of the sort of Americans the coastal elites customarily sneer at.

This is a video to keep and treasure as a historic document. Show it to your children, to teach them how to live. View it yourself, when you have moments of doubt or need to buck up your own courage. Twin Towers is a welcome gift to posterity.