I was listening to him the morning of 9-11-2001. He was one of the first to recognize it as a terrorist attack. He had VERY GOOD monologues on politics.
I'm just now reading of Don Wade's passing. I remember the morning of 9-11 like it was yesterday, and I remember hearing him talk about the first plane crash into the World Trade Center as I was getting ready for work. He to the best of my knowledge was the first to call it a Terrorist attack minutes before the second plane hit - and confirmed it was.
I started listening to Don and Roma when they moved to WLS Talk-radio and was hooked as a fan instantly. Don always had a way of expressing what it was I was thinking - though he did it much more eloquently than I could.
I'd called their show a number of times over the years and was always put on air. One of my favorite and most memorable (for me) moments was during a call I'd made some years ago, probably 1998'ish when Don was talking about carjackings in South Africa, and how someone came up with a device that literally blasted the would-be carjacker with a flamethrower hidden under the vehicle.
I called in and said that'd be handy device to have to speed up the toll-takers on the Illinois toll roads. If they took too long, just blast 'em with the flamethrower.
Don roared in laughter on air in approval of my comment. Roma thought it was funny too. (It was much funnier if you'd heard the exchange.)
I was also fortunate enough to work literally across the street from their Studios when I worked for Leo Burnett in Chicago. Saw the Wade's frequently in the parking garage where we both parked, and often out at lunch at Smith and Wollensky's or somewhere else.
Mrs. USC and I have greatly missed Don and Roma on the air these past many months, and now I have the unpleasant task of going upstairs and telling her that Don passed away.