The 55-year-old was on his way to an appointment when he got a phone call to turn on the TV and like many Americans saw the World Trade Center struck by hijacked planes on September 11.
The only difference?
His name is Ehtesham Naqvi and he's a Muslim-American who emigrated from Pakistan 45 years ago.
And it is what makes Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump's characterization that Muslims in Jersey City celebrated the attacks all the more personal and agonizing for Naqvi, now 69 years old.
Trump insisted for a second week that "thousands of American-Muslims in New Jersey celebrated 9/11," saying in an interview to NBC's Chuck Todd, "You have a huge Muslim population between Paterson and different places and Jersey City - an unbelievable, large population," he said.
Trump's recollection of that day and what took place in Jersey City and surrounding cities is false, according to city leaders, law enforcement and community leaders.