Heroes Never Fade

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. I believe that whoever was in that room and did that was a murderer. A new podcast series, Fault Line Haditha, tells the story of a shocking crime and a cover-up at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps. If you've got five players and you offer immunity to four, you better be right about the fifth because if you're not, then you've just given immunity to your color. Listen to Fault Line Haditha on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. That day changed so many people's lives, including my own, in terms of how I view the world and the urgency of the moment. If you're wondering why I've had a sense of urgency on both radio and TV leading up to this midterm in 53 days because there's so much at stake. You literally have a group of people that would like to up in the entire country, shred

1:00our constitution, destroy our way of life, destroy our founding documents, and put aside, they start with the notion that America is not a great country when it is. It is a beacon of light and hope for the world, and they want to upend all of that. They don't view America the way we view America. And it's sad and it's tragic, but it's real. And that's why I'm hoping that most of you will pay very close attention to what's coming up. You know, you hear Michael W. there when evil calls itself a martyr. I've had the honor of becoming friends with Frank Siller. And we have a podcast up right now with him wherever you get your video podcast. And his whole story, what got him involved with the tunnel to towers foundation began with the fact that his youngest brothers, Steven Siller died on 9 1101.

2:00Steven Siller had just gotten off work. He was going to play golf with his brothers. And all of a sudden, it came over his radio that in fact the tower had been hit and he stopped this car and he took 60 pounds of equipment and he put it on his back. They wouldn't allow him to drive through the battery tunnel to downtown Manhattan and New York City. But he felt compelled. He didn't have to go to work, but he felt compelled to go to work to help out his fellow firefighters and people that were in need, strangers in need. And he went to the World Trade Center. He lost his life that day. Frank Siller, one of his older brothers, you know, then began to honor his brother and to do good and to never forget what happened in Steven's name. And that's when he established the tunnel to towers foundation. That's why we keep reminding you, please, you know, if you can donate land, if you can donate a car, if you can make one big donation or give up, you know, two Starbucks a month,

3:04you know, the secret special sauce to successfully help out these most courageous people, these families that have given everything for their country and their communities, you know, gave $11 a month. They can keep building homes for those families that gave everything for us. Anyway, my friend Frank Siller is with us now, sir. How are you? I've been seeing you a lot lately. I feel like, you know, we've been able to reconnect and it's been an honor or my end to spend a lot of time with you. Thanks for being with us. Right back at your show and I appreciate your kind words about my brother, what a hero, what a hero, what a hero. He inspired his older siblings that he raised the bar. That's impossible to get to, but nonetheless, we will do what we can possibly do to honor him in a way that not many people get honored for sure and remember his legacy is incredible. I'm so proud of him today, 25th anniversary, walking through the tunnel this morning with

4:07his children, with my children, my grandchildren, my siblings, their kids and grandkids. It was very emotional to say the least. And you know, the whole day has been very emotional. We miss him to death. My heart breaks for his wife and five kids built to this day. The biggest thing that has, uh, wants me, uh, is the fact that they never really got to the oldest with nine years old. She certainly had a beautiful relationship, but the others were four and a half to nine months old, uh, the other four and, uh, so they never, never really got to know a, a remarkable man. And I think it should be pointed out that one of Steven's sons works very closely with you with the tunnel, uh, to Towers Foundation, correct? 100% Steven, Jr. Steven. So that's still that we walked through the tunnel this morning with it ended our, our steel across America tour. We're going to have it a few other places, but this was the, the, uh, end of the, uh,

5:10started on May 2nd at ground zero and ended there, uh, this morning, after we came through the tunnel. Um, he was there 95% of the time he traveled all over America with, spoke about his dad. He spoke about other heroes. He spoke about the foundation and the work that we're doing, uh, put a big spotlight on, on, uh, we need other people to join us. And, um, it was incredible to listen to him. We were over at 10 house today. That's a firehouse that's adjacent to ground zero. My brother actually spent one year there when he was at what's called the probi, the first couple of years you, you become a firefighter. He was over there. They had the names of 343 firefighters etched in bronze and we went over there and we, uh, uh, placed the wreath and, uh, and hundreds of people with us that we placed the flower, uh, rose there and, um, you know, to, uh, to honor these great heroes, not just my brother. And it was very emotional to, to do that, but you have to do things like that.

6:11You have to remember. You have to remember. So it doesn't happen again. Well, that's one of my greatest fears as we go back to a pre-911 mindset. Um, just to remind people because under your leadership and your vision, the foundation now has grown into one of America's leading charities. You provide mortgage free homes, uh, to gold star families, uh, fallen first responder families, people with young children. You build smart homes for catastrophically injured vets and first responders. I mean, we were talking about this. I think the last time I saw you, maybe it was on the podcast and, you know, you, it, it just keeps getting bigger because you keep seeing more need. I mean, we lost 343 firefighters that day, but we lost many more in the days and the years after from 911 related illness. And then of course, you know, the conflicts, the battles, the wars that were fought, you know, post 911 as well, you're taking care of all those families and, you know, your

7:14mission just keeps growing. It doesn't the need has not gone down. It's gone up. Yes. And it's always going to be there. And that's why the foundation always has to be here to take care of these families. And that's why so many great Americans have joined us on, on this mission. 343 mortgage free homes this year. Think of that almost one a day, almost one a day, uh, over 10,000 homeless vets off the street this year, total of 27,500 in the last three years. I mean, come on. And then work with the one is so important. And, you know, I love now that we have the main Jewish scholarship program. When we pay the college tuition for these kids that lose their mom and dad who protect us and die in the line of duty, think about that. They don't have to worry. First we pay off the mortgage. And so they could stay in the home and then we say, you don't have to save money for your college tuition because now they were single parents. You know, most of them were old 99% of them are 99.9. And, and, um, and we say, you don't have to save for college because we're going to pay

8:15for it. And who's we, the American people, millions of people have joined, millions upon millions of people have joined us to get this done. And it's a beautiful thing to be a part of. And it's just so rewarding. My nephew, Steven Jr said it's so beautiful this morning when we were over at that all laying out that wreath and flowers. He said the gift of what my, that what his father did was the gift that we're giving to other families, his sacrifice to the gift. He gave up his life so that we could take care of these other families. I wish other people had time to spend alone with you as I have. Um, and this, this is now your entire mission and purpose in life. And the passion that you have is not going to be one person, one hero that is not going to be taken care of. A Frank Siller has his way period full stop. 100%.

9:15There's not going to be one family in America who dies for our country or our community that leaves a young family behind that will not be taken care of. That is a promise and we're keeping that promise. Uh, we are keeping that promise. So, and by the way, this is my mission and I do live every single day of it. But I got seven grandkids. I love them. Don't know what the way you need to hear Frank talk about his brothers and Steven and his family. I mean, they were just an all-American family. Everything you'd expect. Good and bad and fun and, and, uh, um, look, I, I know this, you go family. You know, I, I just know that we will see loved ones again in the next life. And I know you'll see your brother and, you know, I know the words that will come out of his mouth. You know, it's going to be, you know, thanks, Frank. You know, you kept his memory alive since 9-11-01. You really have. And I mean, it's amazing what you've done.

10:17We're honored to be, you know, friends with you and partners with you. And, uh, I just appreciate you so much. I appreciate that. But I think his first words are going to be, hey, that's what you do. Come on. This this family's a typical New York family. Let me let everybody know. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's hardcore never ending, you know, poke the chest and, and, and start a fight. Um, but, you know, your brother was a very special human being. What he did that day. Uh, I mean, it's, it's such an inspiring story of American heroism, encourage and fortitude and strength and what you've done for his memory and in the years they were after. I can't believe it's 25 years, can you? No, I can't. Some ways feels like yesterday and other ways it's grown up. So many marries, couple of them having children. I mean, it's a beautiful thing to watch. They listen,

11:20and the memoir let us do good. My memoir I write about. There's so many stories about Steven, so many other heroes in there. Just hit New York Times bestseller. Thanks to your support and many other people's support and getting the word out there. There's 50, 60 stories in the other heroes too that may be ultimate sacrifice. So many people, you know, we say freedom is in free, right? We say that, right? Everybody says that. Well, you know what? The 7,000 families that want the war after 9, 11 because it happened. Those families know that freedom is in free. The 2,977 souls that died on 9, 11 most certainly know that freedom is in free. The police offices and five fighters and first responders that every single day put their lives on the line. They know freedom is in free. And as Americans, we have to make a promise to these families that when they give up their life for us in response that we're going to take care of that

12:22family's left line. It's a contract that every American should have with these families. Well, your national treasure. I was doing a golf event that in Florida and Frank says just before I go up to speak, he goes, just don't say anything nice about me. So I started out. I said, yeah, Frank, you really suck. And I'm like, this guy's done nothing but great things his entire life and helped so many families and continues to please help the tunnel to towers foundation. Their website is the letter T, the number two, the letter T dot org, the letter T, the number two, the letter T dot org T number two T dot org tunnel to towers foundation. Frank, you are a national treasure. We love you. We appreciate all you do every day. God bless you and thank you, my friend. God bless you too. Thank you for having me on and never forget about 800 941, Sean. We'll continue.

13:23September 11, 2001. First responders, firefighters, police officers and ordinary citizens risk everything to save others. Many of those heroes pay the ultimate price in acts of quiet courage. 25 years ago feels like yesterday. Always remember, never forget. A shocking crime and a cover up at the highest levels of the United States Marine Corps. Someone opened the door and was the primary shooter. Is it possible you could do that and then suppress the memory? A new podcast series, fault line Haditha tells the story the United States government wants to keep buried. How can you not know there were women and children there? You can tell us here that you don't know what happened that day?

14:27Based on thousands of pages of previously classified documents and over a hundred hours of secretly filmed video, the truth about one of the most infamous crimes in Marine Corps history can finally be told. If you've got five players and one of them is guilty of murder at least and you offer immunity to the other four you better be right about the fifth because if you're not then you've just given immunity to your color. Listen to fault line Haditha on the My Heart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. September 11 2001 families waited in vain for loved ones who never came home and now 9 11 is

15:40every day for those families always remember never forget never forget 25 years ago September 11 2001 America faced heartbreak the worst terrorist attack on our homeland ever. Three years ago in Israel we saw in October 7th that the same heartbreak took place different decades they're for the tax same evil when evil calls itself a martyr look this is why we are so proud of our partnership with the international fellowship of Christians and Jews now they are hosting their flags of fellowship now that is a movement where thousands of churches all across our country are displaying memorial flags to honor the 1200 lives lost on October 7th they're very you know they have a very small population under nine million people that would be like 40,000 Americans killed

16:41in a day and we lost 2,977 on 9 11 alone by the way each flag represents a loved one a family forever changed a promise that one that we should never forget also terrorism is terrorism and it's got to be in the forefront of our mind and we got to understand the nature of evil in our time and hatred and violence and evil still exist and anyway we hope you'll join the thousands of churches across America as we think about Americans that were lost on 9 11 and in this powerful act of remembrance you know support our friends in Israel too because they are battling for the very survival as we speak and you can learn how to participate in the flags for fellowship you have a website it's join f-o-f dot org that's join f-o-f dot org um we are remembering this 25 years ago it's

17:43it's hard to even wrap my mind around the fact that it's been 25 years but it has been uh and you know but if we don't recall if we don't take the time to remember as I've been saying today then why would why would we expect a different result you know there was a pre 9 11 mindset and now there's a post 9 11 mindset and too many Americans don't know enough about 9 11 when I hear from kids in particular it is it is extraordinarily frustrating to me because they don't seem to understand the magnitude of what happened that day and how it can happen again. Tara Warley reminds us and we put this together many years ago have you forgotten? American's do not yet have the distance of history but our responsibility to history is already clear

18:48to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil. I hear people say we don't need this war three protestors war and it's not a war actually this water but I say there's some things worth fighting for we are very grateful and thankful that we live in a country with this freedom of speech that people who are either for or against a war can speak out. What about our freedom? Everything is when black and this piece of ground everything came down we didn't get to keep them about backing down. Glass are popping and people got hurt. They say we don't realize the mess we're there goes there goes there goes. Well you start to preach and let me ask you this my friend have you forgotten? Oh my god the next building is another one. Another plane just flew in. The explosion is incredible. Have you forgotten? I saw this plane come out of nowhere and

19:52just screamed right into the side of the twin tower exploding through the other side. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm burning a cloud. There are dozens of residents that are sitting on the hill behind the pedigot almost like they're waiting for the fourth of July fireworks but instead they're staring dumbfounded and it looks like what looks like a war zone. I mean see bodies flying out of the sky and you can't do nothing about it you tell me there's no words to describe what's going on out there. Have you forgotten?

20:57America's a nation full of good fortune was so much to be grateful for but we are not spared from suffering and every generation the world has produced enemies of human freedom they have attacked America because we are freedoms home and defender. Have you forgotten? And the commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time. That's our friend Darryl Warley and he put that together and he actually did freedom concerts with us he was amazing and just an amazing guy. Joining us now Patrick Sullivan Secret Service agent and after a special agent for the investigator with the General Accounting Office now government accountability office of special investigations on 9-11 he conducted an undercover test at Dallas Airport was and smuggled and inert hand grenade past a screening checkpoint. I mean this is you know literally about 10 minutes after the hijackers

22:01of American Airlines flight 77 passed through the exact same checkpoint. I mean it's a story I didn't know until until recently anyway Patrick Sullivan sir glad you with us thanks for being here. Thank you Sean I appreciate being on your show. I mean when I heard this story I couldn't believe it now I know people complain a little bit about you know having to go through airport security and TSA etc. me among them but I'm still glad they're there. Well that's true Sean but I'll give you a little background what led us to do the undercover operations. The FAA was in charge of security at the airports prior to 9-11 and they in office of civil aviation security and their number of their employees who were their special agents who came to their bosses and said the system's not working there are too many vulnerabilities and nothing changed so these whistleblowers went to Congress to the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee and the community then contacted us

23:03to do an undercover testing to see how bad the screen checkpoints were and on 20 prior occasions before 9-11 I successfully smuggled the inert hand grenade past the checkpoint at over 20 airports in the United States. My partner also retired secret agent named John Cuny smuggled a 25-tell of our handgun. He had a cast made we had a cast made up with bars in it and he put the handgun in the hidden compartment in the cast and is obligated to this screening every single time just like me with the inert hand grenade which I put inside of a 7-11 super big gulp cope with ice on top of it and I never got challenged I will walk right to the magnetometer every single time and this I'm 9-11, profetically 9-11, 11. I went through the magnetometer checkpoint at exactly 7-45, 10 minutes past Tony Han-Jour who was the pilot and lead hijacker of the American Airlines 5-11 and myself and

24:06John Cuny were also on a flight to Los Angeles who were on the United Airlines flight and by the luck of God we weren't on that plane that was hijacked you could have been our plane which was the same route, same size aircraft and we were not hijacked so that's that's the story and it's kind of shocking and so what you really revealing is everything that we learned on 9-11 you already knew because you had been you had been testing airports around the country and you found a massive gaping hole in terms of vulnerability that existed absolutely Sean it was it was more than massive in gaping it was it was completely porous as far as we were concerned and we had been briefed we had to have been provided to us and the intelligence committee or enforcement community we did not believe that aircraft would be turned into weapons and mass destruction we were more concerned with putting a bomb on aircraft and blowing it up in flight or hijacking the aircraft as traditionally happened it would be used as a negotiation tool in fact it was a document

25:10called the common strategy just adopted by the federal government and the aviation industry which called for pilots and airline employees to acquiesce to hijackers of more aircraft and not try to intercept and intervene the hijacking on the theory that the plane would land and negotiations would begin sadly on 9-11 that that change and the common strategy was then tossed out by September 12th that was a defonc document never to be used to have. Do you think knowing everything that you know that maybe you can't even tell us do you think that we have become lacks have we gone back to a pre-9-11 mentality? I don't believe so Sean I think I have 100% faith in TSA and in men and women who are on the front lines today but I'm can't believe Sean my biggest fear my biggest concern is the insider threat because the terrorist groups can recruit people who already inside an organization and turn them to become their agents of what specific organizations

26:20would you be concerned about? In airline employees people that look at the airports people maybe catering services even security guards and God forbid even FBI agents or secret service agents could theoretically be turned I think it'd be much more difficult to turn a secret service agent or FBI agent but I think it's much easier to turn an airport employee and and can then summon to bring some dangerous and a furious island on to more an aircraft I think that's very possible but there is a vulnerability that will always exist and will never get rid of it correct? That's correct Sean there's always going to be the human element besides the insider threat there's also technology that's evolving and the bad guys may come up with a way to get explosives or other weapons past screen checkpoints I mean that could happen but we're always trying to stay on top of the technology that's one thing I'm very confident we the TSA has a robust research and development capability and I think they're trying to stay on top of any of the bad guys develop somewhere around it they're going to counteract that. Pretty unbelievable

27:25I just you know as I've been watching all day TV it's pretty unbelievable to know that all of this happened and that so much of it could have been prevented. Your story is really remarkable getting grenades through 20 different airports it's breathtaking to me. One last question when you did get this information and this intelligence and you shared it with your superiors how did they react? Well the day after 911 just nothing more we could do when we realized that the American Airlines flight had been hijacked and the other planes hit the world's race center when you our undercover operation would become kind of at breathtaking consequences. Next day we went to the FBI we briefed the FBI completely on what we've been doing and the day after that we went to the head of the FAA officer civilian aviation security and brief famine they did not take it well. It was in gentleman named General Mike Cammivan who's now deceased he was a three-starred

28:26retired general who was in charge of civilian aviation security. He was a highly decorated military officer Sean but he had no law enforcement experience and I think that was part of the issue. I think anybody in that role has that serious law enforcement experience to be able to manage an operation like that. End of the day though changes were made almost immediately that's why TSA was born that's why DHS was born following this but we were the delirors of some seriously bad news I could tell you that some people didn't take it too well. What you did was invaluable had people paid it more attention to it perhaps 9-11 could have been prevented and I'm not I'm not I'm not casting aspersions on people or blaming people I don't think anybody anticipated this attack or you know willfully you know was not trying to do their job it just is we we we just were not ready period full stop. Anyway sir Patrick we appreciate you man thank you and thanks for all you have done in your

29:29career and all you continue to do and inform people thank you. Thank you Sean. All right 8994 one Sean if you want to be a part of the program we were just talking to Frank Ciller in the last half hour and knows a dear personal friend of mine now 9-11-01 was born on America's darkest day the worst terrorist attack on American soil in our history and he's been helping American heroes ever since and their families he lost his brother that day as we talked about earlier heroes like you know Navy Chief Shannon Kent this service of Shannon's was inspired by the 9-11 attacks a decorated warrior mother Shannon served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and anyway so she joined and committed to help and to battle you know radical Islamists that believe in this sick ideology of converter die and sadly and tragically she lost her life in a suicide bomb attack in Syria

30:35now this being the 25th anniversary of 9-11 her sacrifice does remind us of the cost the lasting impact of that day she left behind her husband her two young sons and the tunnel to towers foundation was able to because of your generosity pay off the Kent family mortgage given the family the security of knowing that their home is theirs forever now we can help more families like the Kent's and your donation makes all the difference you can donate a car you can donate land you can donate you know one big donation or you know maybe for you know for go to two Starbucks every month and that'll be enough for 11 bucks a month and that makes this this organization work as well as it does and they can continue its big it's great work anyway go to their website it's the letter t the number two the letter t dot org the letter t the number two the letter t dot org for the tunnel to towers foundation

31:38final hour round up is next you do not want to miss it and stay tuned for the final hour free for all on the Sean Hannity show you can forget that moment of immense and horrible evil it took place in this world bent on the destruction of all that is good but this morning we also remember how America responded to that wickedness one day's like 9 11 we learn what a country is truly made of we're learning right now

32:40what we're made of and we have to be strong and we have to be smart and Americans are made of a goodness and spirit that can transcend any earthly force all right quick break right back we'll get to your phone calls coming up toll free it is eight hundred nine four one Sean if you want to be a part of the program as we remember nine eleven oh one two thousand nine hundred seventy seven of our fellow Americans died that day many have died there after from wars and nine eleven related illness which is very very real also coming up we'll check him with a french on and drossic he was deeply impacted by what happened on nine eleven uh and he'll tell us how and why and what he's done since uh as we continue this Friday

33:43I believe that whoever was in that room and did that was a murderer a new podcast series fault line hadita tells the story of a shocking crime and a cover-up at the highest levels of the united states marine port if you've got five players and you offer immunity to four you better be right about the fifth because if you're not then you've just given immunity to your color listen to fault line hadita on the iHeart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts