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Todd Beamer: Remembering United Flight 93: 'Let's Roll'

by Amy Judd | September 11, 2009 at 07:38 am

5097 views | 52 Recommendations | 9 comments

As the world remembers the events of September 11th 2001, some names will stand out as heroes to many, who did what they could to try to save their country and their lives.

One of those names was Todd Beamer.

Todd was a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that was hijacked when it was on its way from Newark International Airport to San Francisco but was diverted toward Washington DC.

After United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked, Beamer and other passengers communicated with people on the ground via in-plane and cell phones, and learned that the World Trade Center had been attacked using hijacked airplanes. Beamer tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat but was routed to a customer-service representative instead, who passed him on to GTE supervisor Lisa Jefferson.

Todd spoke to Lisa telling her that one passenger was dead and was on the phone when the plane turned and changed course. He planned with some of the other passengers to jump on the hijackers. Lisa Jefferson said that the last words she heard Beamer say were "Are you guys ready? Let's roll".

He was survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter that was born four months after his death.

His phrase 'let's roll' became a battle cry for soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. Todd has had four facilities named after him, and was posthumously awarded with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2002.

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Rhonda J Mangus

at 08:10 on September 11th, 2009

Thank you for this tribute to Todd Beamer, Amy!

EveryWord (not verified)

at 08:42 on September 11th, 2009

Great post; thank you for this. I've written my own personal remembrance here: www.ex-united.com/united-airlines/remembering-911-eight-years-on/ We must remember and pray for the victims and their families. The story of Deora Bodley (youngest victim on United 93) and her father is especially sad and touching. Next, we as a nation must vow to never again let ourselves become something worse, for what we've suffered. If we do, bin Laden wins. We must unite again, and be "that shining beacon on a hill" for the rest of the world. God bless.

Pat Garcia

at 13:54 on September 11th, 2009

Thank you for this tribute. I admire this man.

A. Tran

at 14:33 on September 11th, 2009

Thanks for this post, Amy.

Rory Cripps

at 15:10 on September 11th, 2009

Thank you Amy for this story. As an American and one that grew up in NYC it was a horrible day! And had it not been for hero's like Todd Beamer and others on flight 93, it would have been worse.