Wayne Giles

He was 32 years old, on a business trip, with a pregnant wife and two little boys waiting for him at home. On September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer boarded United Flight 93, headed from Newark to San Francisco. He was supposed to come home to his family. Instead, he became part of a group of ordinary Americans who made an extraordinary decision. After hijackers took control of the plane, Todd reached a telephone operator on the ground. He told her what was happening, asked her to pray with him, and learned that other planes had already struck the World Trade Center. The passengers understood that their plane was likely being used as another weapon. They had a choice: remain in their seats and hope for the best, or fight back. They chose to fight. Todd and the other passengers and crew members organized an effort to retake the cockpit. At the end of his call, the operator heard him say: “Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” Minutes later, Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All 40 passengers and crew members were killed, but the hijackers never reached their intended target. Todd Beamer never made it home. Neither did the other 39 innocent people aboard that plane. But their courage helped prevent another attack on American soil. They were not soldiers. They were people going to work, visiting family, and living ordinary lives. And when the moment came, they fought back. (An update on the family Todd left behind is in the comments) 🐝