'The first battle in the war on terror, Flight 93' by Vincent

 

Several weeks prior to the 25^th anniversary of the attacks against America on 9/11, I decided to do some extensive research on the countless stories of heroism and self-sacrifice that fateful day. The number of stories were overwhelming at times, certainly emotionally, especially when trying to encapsulate them into one week’s column. It seemed anything written that week created a mere overview of the tragedy and lacked an unmistakable recognition to all the unsung heroes forcibly thrust into action on behalf of their love for humanity. 

During this next year, I intend on sharing these heart-wrenching stories. As I share them, my hope is to provide you with their stories and the loved ones left behind. With so many heroes that day and the many days following, it’s easy to get lost in the news cycle. I pray I’m able to pay them proper homage through these editorials so their stories of gallantry may live through eternity.                    

On the morning of September 11^th, 2001, the United States awoke to an ordinary day that would soon become one of the darkest and most unforgettable moments in our history. Across the country, people went to work, children entered classrooms, and families said hurried goodbyes before beginning their daily routines. In the skies above however, the unthinkable was already unfolding unbeknownst to the American people down below.

Later that morning, United Airlines Flight 93 departed Newark international airport bound for San Francisco.  On board were families, businessmen, travelers, and a full flight crew of seven expecting nothing more than a routine cross-country journey. Before flight 93 had taken off, Islamic terrorists had already hijacked three other commercial airliners, and their despicable plans against the people of America was unfolding. As flight 93 ascended into the skies, none of them could possibly conceive what was happening 35,000 feet below the belly of their aircraft.

Once cruising altitude was reached, Islamic terrorists forcibly breached the cockpit and took control of flight 93. According to subsequent phone calls from passengers aboard the flight, one passenger, Thomas Burnett at 0930, and an unidentified flight attendant at 0931, reported the plane had been hijacked and one passenger, possibly the pilot had been stabbed to death, and the passengers were being forcibly moved to the back of the plane. At this point, the passengers aboard flight 93 still had no idea what had taken place in New York and Washington D.C.  

Inside the airplane fear and uncertainty was taking hold. Passengers and crew members were being held hostage and information regarding the other three hijacked planes was trickling out through numerous phone calls made to loved ones from the airplane’s seat back phones. By 0936, the passengers were now fully aware of what was taking place and realized they were now part of the terrorist’s barbaric plans to strike at the symbols of American government, causing mass casualties and spreading fear throughout the nation.

Yet, even in those terrifying moments, the passengers aboard flight 93 boldly continued to make phone calls to loved ones on the ground. Roughly 28 additional calls were made to family members and loved ones sharing their final heartbreaking words, expressing their love to one another, and leaving final messages on voicemails painfully uttering their final goodbyes. Those calls were gut-wrenching but also became a source strength. The passengers now fully understood that their airplane was simply not being taken hostage, it was being used as a guided missile against the American way of life.

Among the passengers were brave men who chose to act, fully understanding their fate.  Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Thomas Burnett, and Jeremy Glick became the tip of the spear and the first battle to combat terrorism on 9/11. They weren’t soldiers deployed to a battlefield; they were American citizens trapped in a tube of aluminum thousands of feet above the earth. They had a remote guarantee of success and zero expectations of survival. Still, they made a decision that required extraordinary courage; they were going to fight back and retake the plane so the terrorists would not win on their watch.

They gathered together and created a game plan. Their plan involved storming the cockpit with the intent of foiling the hijackers plan and protecting life on the ground.  They knew the hijackers were armed and the cockpit door was guarded. They understood fully that storming the cockpit would cost them their lives; but they also understood that doing nothing might allow the airplane to be used as a weapon of mass destruction against their fellow Americans below. 

With the infamous “Are you guys ready? Let’s roll” spoken by Todd Beamer to his fellow passengers, and to a random telephone operator, these brave passengers, now turned American warriors charged the cockpit. According to the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), a fierce battle ensued as the passengers fought the hijackers for control of the cockpit. And at 10:01 that morning, United flight 93 began a rapid plunge toward the earth. At approximately 10:03 AM EST, United Flight 93 crashed into an empty field near Shanksville Pennsylvania killing everyone on board. It was determined by the 911 Commission that the hijacker’s intended target was likely the U.S. Capital; which remains standing in defiance this very day.

The passengers that day were people like you and me that hoped for nothing more than to live a normal life. They wanted to return home to the embrace of a loved one, finish their journeys, and just simply continue on with their ordinary lives. Their valor came from a sincere willingness to give up that hope so that others may live.  

Presently at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville Pennsylvania, the landscape is peaceful. The quiet field stands in stark contrast to the violence that occurred there. Yet its silence carries a powerful message to the world. It reminds visitors that forty people faced unimaginable circumstances and chose unconditional love for their fellow Americans. Something that the radical Islamists will never comprehend.    

Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer