When I was a kid my family lived near McGuire AFB and Fort Dix in New Jersey, so summertime frequently meant trips to base open houses and air shows. I used to loved those. My dad was a big military machinery buff [my folks have lots of photos and color slides of me posing next to Jeeps and tanks] and I remember the airshows circa 1976 being jaw-droppingly exciting. I'll never forget that viscera-thundering roaring in the body brought on by a fighter jet roaring overhead.

[I remember them being Blue Angels, but after checking their history I realize they never made appearances at McGuire AFB - what I saw were actually the USAF Thunderbirds]

However, for the past few years I haven't been able to attend military shows without an underlying tinge of sadness. Watching the fighter jets streak across the skyline has become simultaneously impressive and frightening, and it demonstrates just how traumatic the events of September 11th, 2001 were, even to those who only witnessed the events on television. Maybe there's a little too much harsh reality in seeing military might played out against a city skyscraper setting...I'm glad the technology exists, but part of me wishes it didn't have to.

Driving back home from the west suburbs this weekend, we arrived downtown just in time to catch the Chicago Air and Water Show's Blue Angels finale. The beaches, sidewalks and rooftops were crowded to capacity, multitudes of police patrols and vehicles standing guard.

Sitting in the car, I wasn't paying much attention to the show when suddenly I heard what sounded like an explosion directly overhead: it was the "sonic boom" of an F/A-18 Hornet fighter making a pass. My heart skipped a beat until I realized it was only part of the show.

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