ANGOLA — Trine University Welcomed Major General Omer Cliff Tooley Jr. to kick off their Distinguished Speaker Series on Friday.

The speaker series has traditionally started with a tribute to the September 11th attacks, and this year’s came on the 20th anniversary.

The Major General recalled the devastating events that he said ultimately brought the United States together through a horrific tragedy.

“The means they chose to launch their strategic plan was a dramatic violent attack upon three sites that symbolized the essence of U.S. national power: the Twin Towers, economic; the Pentagon, military; and the Capitol building, political,” Tooley said. “They established a timing of the attack to achieve maximum psychological and information impact. In broad daylight, beginning of the work day, so that the attack and immediate aftermath could play out in full view of the world.”

Tooley served more than 40 years in the U.S. Army and serves today as president of defense development for the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.