September 11th

[DraftNerd]

A few weeks after that meeting at AIG I had to fly from Boston to Buffalo. It was sometime in November and travel was still weird. I was a seasoned traveler so I knew what seats to request when traveling. For this trip I get to the airport and ask if the seat “on the aisle in the exit row is available”. The ticketing agent just smiles and said yes. At the time I didn’t understand the smile. When I got to the gate it was empty except for just a few people. When I got on the plane it was empty except for 5 people. I then realized why the agent had smiled at my request.



Anyway, I get on this plane. It’s about 25-30 rows with 2 seats on each side. There was an elderly couple sitting together up front. There’s me on the aisle exit row. Across the aisle from me was another guy on the other aisle seat (He was obviously another seasoned traveler - haha) and there was one lady sitting alone several rows behind us. That’s it. Nobody else on this flight.



The door is open and we are just waiting for it to close when at the last minute this 20 something year old Middle Eastern kid carrying a backpack gets on the plane. He sits a couple of rows behind the old couple and about 10 rows in front of me. I’m looking up the aisle at this kid and I notice that the guy sitting across from me is doing the same. The kid puts his backpack in the overhead and sits down. I look at the guy across the aisle and he looks at me and we both just nod to each other. We never spoke but it was clear that if that poor kid got up for any reason (go to the bathroom, check his backpack, etc ) me and this guy were gonna be ON him!



The flight is about 90 minutes. This guy and I were both working but every once in a while we would each look up to check on this kid. He didn’t move an inch. Haha. We land and we just let him get off the plane first. The guy and I just nod to each other again and leave.



It was truly a crazy time to be flying.

We flew about five weeks before this tragedy. Orlando to Philly. Had to fly up on late October for a funeral. Huge difference. The TSA measures weren’t fully up yet but I’ll always remember how empty airport and plane were comparative to the flight in August.

Oh….and the soldiers there with full machine guns in hand. I thanked them for being there….I didn’t feel threatened by them being there. But, damnit they were the strongest sign the world had changed.

 

[Fish]

I was insulating refrigeration pipes at a new grocery store 2 hours from home. There were some radios around. I noticed different trades congregating around a radio so I went to see what was going on. The radio news was very confusing. Kept working, finished the day and things began to become clear. First thing I did was fill up my truck. Then the office called and said if I needed gas I'd better get it now because gas stations were getting slammed.

The main thing I remember on my ride home was thanking God my family was safe, then feeling selfish because of all the people whose families weren't, and those who were killed.

Every gas station I passed on the way home was lined out into the street. Grocery store parking lots were full. It was like when a snow storm is forecast except times 10.

 

[basement bias]

i was in the fourth grade, and nobody bothered telling us what happened. i didn't find out about it until my mom told me when i got home.

I was in 5th grade and 4 of the 5 teachers kept it from us until lunch. I remember it being odd that the classroom that was getting the radio was quiet. It was the class all the others could normally hear due to the teacher being an old grouch yelling at someone daily. She didn't have the radio loud enough for the other teachers to hear. We go to lunch and those in that class are telling us about it and we then see tvs in the lunchroom showing planes hitting the buildings. I remember going to bed that night wondering what else could happen and if we would have invaders trying to start war on our soil.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

I was working on an exterior job at the Sante Fe casino in NW Las Vegas. We had guys up on boom and scissor lifts, and I was the ground guy that day, making sure pedestrians were routed around the guys up on lifts. It was moring, obviously on the West side of the country.

It was kind of funny how these old geezers would do just about anything to get into the casinos sometimes. They would just go through our caution tape, and roll their scooters right through our set ups to get in. We would always chuckle about it. Like how important is senior morning bingo?

Anyway, that morning there was a sudden influx of people leaving. Scurrying even, out the doors and to their cars and shuttle buses. I remember thinking, "wtf, is there a fire in there?"

This little old woman came up to me, and she had tears in her eyes, and was openly sobbing. She put her hand on my arm and said," Honey, do you know what's goin on in the world right now?" Normally I would have laughed and dismissed the old woman as a cook. But the way she said it gave me goose bumps.

A few minutes later I went into the back of house area, where the EDR was. Normally there would be a couple employees in there having coffee or a light meal. There was a shitty little 19 or 20 inch TV on a mount on the wall. Fucking thing barely had color it was so old. This day, the entire room was full, with every head pointed at the TV. I got the chills again. I dont know to this day if it was a replay, or thats when the second plane hit, but the entire room went into an absolute state horror when the second tower got hit. I remember my foreman calling me and saying to wrap shit up, and we were going home.

I sat there for a couple of minutes, still in a little shock. Then the wife called. Back then, she was going to school and raising the kids. at that time I had a 4 year old son, and 1 years old daughter. It sounds dumb now, but I remember thinking this was going to lead to draft, and we were going to war with someone. I ran home, and just sat with her and the kids.

 

[DraftNerd]

I was working on an exterior job at the Sante Fe casino in NW Las Vegas. We had guys up on boom and scissor lifts, and I was the ground guy that day, making sure pedestrians were routed around the guys up on lifts. It was moring, obviously on the West side of the country.

It was kind of funny how these old geezers would do just about anything to get into the casinos sometimes. They would just go through our caution tape, and roll their scooters right through our set ups to get in. We would always chuckle about it. Like how important is senior morning bingo?

Anyway, that morning there was a sudden influx of people leaving. Scurrying even, out the doors and to their cars and shuttle buses. I remember thinking, "wtf, is there a fire in there?"

This little old woman came up to me, and she had tears in her eyes, and was openly sobbing. She put her hand on my arm and said," Honey, do you know what's goin on in the world right now?" Normally I would have laughed and dismissed the old woman as a cook. But the way she said it gave me goose bumps.

A few minutes later I went into the back of house area, where the EDR was. Normally there would be a couple employees in there having coffee or a light meal. There was a shitty little 19 or 20 inch TV on a mount on the wall. Fucking thing barely had color it was so old. This day, the entire room was full, with every head pointed at the TV. I got the chills again. I dont know to this day if it was a replay, or thats when the second plane hit, but the entire room went into an absolute state horror when the second tower got hit. I remember my foreman calling me and saying to wrap shit up, and we were going home.

I sat there for a couple of minutes, still in a little shock. Then the wife called. Back then, she was going to school and raising the kids. at that time I had a 4 year old son, and 1 years old daughter. It sounds dumb now, but I remember thinking this was going to lead to draft, and we were going to war with someone. I ran home, and just sat with her and the kids.

I remember this thought too. That afternoon, as I held my baby. It’s a thought I never gave reverence to. It’s something that happened to my fathers generation, not ours.

But now the chance was real. I was 26 at the time with one kid and one on the way. I wasn’t going to be at the head of a draft board list.

But, I remember thinking through it that day. My father registered for selective service in 1966. By 1968 he hadn’t been drafted, then Tet happened. He resolved that he was going to volunteer rather than wait to be drafted. I think he said an old WWII salt at the golf course he worked at advised him on this. Volunteer and maybe have an assignment choice off the front lines, or get drafted and get 13 weeks of training and then a gun and a trip to Da Nang? Easy choice. He never had to serve front lines.

I remember resolving that day that I would watch how things unfold since I wouldn’t be a first wave draftee and if it came to it I would volunteer over getting drafted.

Selfishly, I’m so damn glad it never went down that way.

 

[DraftNerd]

I was in 5th grade and 4 of the 5 teachers kept it from us until lunch. I remember it being odd that the classroom that was getting the radio was quiet. It was the class all the others could normally hear due to the teacher being an old grouch yelling at someone daily. She didn't have the radio loud enough for the other teachers to hear. We go to lunch and those in that class are telling us about it and we then see tvs in the lunchroom showing planes hitting the buildings. I remember going to bed that night wondering what else could happen and if we would have invaders trying to start war on our soil.

It’s interesting to hear the perspective of going through this event at such an age. I was 26 and with a very young family. My oldest was 1 1/2 and likes to say she can remember standing at the TV watching it, but there is no way.

How it was to go through this as a kid had to be something.

 

[DraftNerd]

I was insulating refrigeration pipes at a new grocery store 2 hours from home. There were some radios around. I noticed different trades congregating around a radio so I went to see what was going on. The radio news was very confusing. Kept working, finished the day and things began to become clear. First thing I did was fill up my truck. Then the office called and said if I needed gas I'd better get it now because gas stations were getting slammed.

The main thing I remember on my ride home was thanking God my family was safe, then feeling selfish because of all the people whose families weren't, and those who were killed.

Every gas station I passed on the way home was lined out into the street. Grocery store parking lots were full. It was like when a snow storm is forecast except times 10.

Interesting. I have utterly no recollection of gas lines and store runs. I just asked the Mrs and she said she remembers it initially.

The only thing I remember about my immediate outside world that day was driving home from work. The sky was the exact same clear blue in Florida as it was in NYC. This never happens in Florida in September. It was very odd.

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

Was in college drinking at a buddy's apartment across town the night before. We didn't have classes on Tuesdays that semester so we were doing pretty good. We turned on The Shining and both passed out. We both woke up during the REDRUM scene and glanced at each other before going back to sleep. Next thing I knew was getting a call to turn on the news. I always thought it was kind of eerie that the REDRUM scene was what woke both of us up before what happened, but it is probably one of the loudest parts of the movie.

 

[SU Nittany Tide]

I was insulating refrigeration pipes at a new grocery store 2 hours from home. There were some radios around. I noticed different trades congregating around a radio so I went to see what was going on. The radio news was very confusing. Kept working, finished the day and things began to become clear. First thing I did was fill up my truck. Then the office called and said if I needed gas I'd better get it now because gas stations were getting slammed.

The main thing I remember on my ride home was thanking God my family was safe, then feeling selfish because of all the people whose families weren't, and those who were killed.

Every gas station I passed on the way home was lined out into the street. Grocery store parking lots were full. It was like when a snow storm is forecast except times 10.

I forgot about the gas thing. Rumors of 45 dollar a gallon gas in Michigan or something like that.

 

[CorpRebel]

 

[phantomfoul88]

Was sitting at work and a co-worker he just heard a plane hit the WTC in New York. Figured it was just a puddle jumper. No biggie.

 

[Kburjr]

I was working on an exterior job at the Sante Fe casino in NW Las Vegas. We had guys up on boom and scissor lifts, and I was the ground guy that day, making sure pedestrians were routed around the guys up on lifts. It was moring, obviously on the West side of the country.

It was kind of funny how these old geezers would do just about anything to get into the casinos sometimes. They would just go through our caution tape, and roll their scooters right through our set ups to get in. We would always chuckle about it. Like how important is senior morning bingo?

Anyway, that morning there was a sudden influx of people leaving. Scurrying even, out the doors and to their cars and shuttle buses. I remember thinking, "wtf, is there a fire in there?"

This little old woman came up to me, and she had tears in her eyes, and was openly sobbing. She put her hand on my arm and said," Honey, do you know what's goin on in the world right now?" Normally I would have laughed and dismissed the old woman as a cook. But the way she said it gave me goose bumps.

A few minutes later I went into the back of house area, where the EDR was. Normally there would be a couple employees in there having coffee or a light meal. There was a shitty little 19 or 20 inch TV on a mount on the wall. Fucking thing barely had color it was so old. This day, the entire room was full, with every head pointed at the TV. I got the chills again. I dont know to this day if it was a replay, or thats when the second plane hit, but the entire room went into an absolute state horror when the second tower got hit. I remember my foreman calling me and saying to wrap shit up, and we were going home.

I sat there for a couple of minutes, still in a little shock. Then the wife called. Back then, she was going to school and raising the kids. at that time I had a 4 year old son, and 1 years old daughter. It sounds dumb now, but I remember thinking this was going to lead to draft, and we were going to war with someone. I ran home, and just sat with her and the kids.

When I first heard of it, all I felt was rage and then fear. I had 2 college age daughters and a son soon to be 16. Nobody really knew the scope of the attacks or if we were in a Red Dawn scenario but I was not going to sacrifice my children.

 

[Bayou Tiger]

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………

 

[Kburjr]

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………

Damn, I just read that on FB. I am proud to call Todd, My Fellow American.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………

I have heard this story before. They actually use it in the movie about flight 93. Still brings tears to my eyes just reading it.
here's to some real american heroes who saved lives by not standing idly by.

 

[DraftNerd]

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up. front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our 3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s 1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out. Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..
Let’s Roll……………………

This was from the movie, I believe. It’s a little dazzled up (I don’t remember the FBI being on the call for example…but could be wrong). Still, it’s not far at all off of how this call went.

I remember listening to this call a million times in the past. “let’s roll” always gave me the chills. It even became the rallying cry for a lot of things back then.

I remember it was heavily used by the troops heading into Afghanistan. This was good. But, in confirming I remembered this right I found this article.

Redirect Notice

It would seem Todd’s rallying call was used in every American way, both good and bad.

 

[DraftNerd]

I have heard this story before. They actually use it in the movie about flight 93. Still brings tears to my eyes just reading it.
here's to some real american heroes who saved lives by not standing idly by.

This was such a tragic AND inspirational story to come out of this. 10-15 years earlier they would have had no way to know what’s going on. But they were able to and the old “don’t do anything in a hi-jack” was gone.

I sure as hell wish they had taken that plane back over and landed it with help. But, they clearly knew they were headed to somewhere to die with many others and weren’t going down like that.

Truest form of hero’s right there.

 

[DraftNerd]

After all the years I try to avoid the explosions and planes slamming buildings and buildings falling on these anniversaries. It’s not that I’m numb to it all these years later, but the direct opposite.

I prefer the stories of heroism like flight 93. Or this one that I actually saw for the first time today.



The instantaneous boat armada that formed up to get people off that island that day was amazing.

Dunkirk has always been seen as the biggest boat lift rescue in history….over 300k soldiers lifted out over days.

These boats hauled 500k out of there in less than 9 hours. Wow!

 

[Bryce Harper]

Didn’t sleep the night before.

Was the first night I was able to get back into my house after the cops tear gassed it.

By the time I’d ran back home that morning, the news vans were all off my street, finally. My neighborhood quickly had lost its hold on the national news cycle.

Craziest four days of my life.

This post is fucking high-art

 

[broncosmitty]

This post is fucking high-art

It’s honestly 100% true.

Left out the part where I got stuck in a room with a wet towel under the door for like 4 hours. With a gay Mexican named Flan.

Who was fixin to take my B.V.