Let's roll,'' Flight 93 victim heard to say minutes before crash Pennsylvania field

AP ^ | September 16, 2001 | JOANN LOVIGLIO

[jern]

By JOANN LOVIGLIO, Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - ``Are you guys ready? Let's roll!'' is an expression Todd Beamer used whenever his wife and two young sons were leaving their home for a family outing.

The 32-year-old businessman and Sunday school teacher said the same thing before he and other passengers apparently took action against hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on Tuesday, shortly before the plane crashed in a western Pennsylvania field.

The jetliner, which government officials suspect was headed for a high-profile target in Washington, was the fourth to crash in a coordinated terrorist attack that killed thousands, and the only one that didn't take lives on the ground.

``He was gentle by nature, he was also very competitive, and he wouldn't stand for anyone being hurt,'' said Beamer's wife, Lisa, who was told of his last words by an operator who spoke to him. ``Knowing that he helped save lives by bringing that plane down ... it brings joy to a situation where there isn't much to be found.''

Todd Beamer placed a call on one of the Boeing 757's on-board telephones and spoke for 13 minutes with GTE operator Lisa D. Robinson, Beamer's wife said. He provided detailed information about the hijacking and - after the operator told him about the morning's World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) attacks - said he and others on the plane were planning to act against the terrorists aboard.

``They may have realized that (the hijackers) were planing to do the same thing with their plane,'' Beamer said Sunday in a telephone interview from her Hightstown, N.J., home. ``So they chose to do what they could to prevent other people from being hurt.''

Before the call ended and with yelling heard in the background, Todd Beamer asked the operator to pray with him. Together, they recited the 23rd Psalm. Then he asked Robinson to promise she would call his wife of seven years - who is expecting a third child - and their two sons, ages 1 and 3.

After receiving clearance from investigators, Robinson kept her promise Friday.

``People asked me if I'm upset that I didn't speak with him, but I'm glad he called (Robinson) instead,'' Lisa Beamer said. ``I would have been helpless. And I know what his last words would have been to me, anyway.''

Beamer said her husband placed the call at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday and told Robinson that there were three knife-wielding hijackers on board, one who appeared to have a bomb tied to his chest with a belt. The other two hijackers took over the cockpit after forcing the pilot and co-pilot out.

The jet was bobbing and changed course several times; the passengers knew they would never land in San Francisco.

``They realized they were going to die. Todd said he and some other passengers were going to jump on the guy with the bomb,'' Lisa Beamer said.

Several other passengers made phone calls from the jet before it crashed southeast of Pittsburgh: Jeremy Glick, 31; Mark Bingham, 31; and Thomas Burnett Jr. 38. Glick and Burnett said they were going to do something.

Todd Beamer dropped the phone after talking to Robinson, leaving the line open. It was then that the operator heard Beamer's words: ``Let's roll.''

Then silence.

Shortly afterwards, the plane crashed, killing all 45 aboard.

``Some people live their whole lives, long lives, without having left anything behind,'' Lisa Beamer said. ``My sons will be told their whole lives that their father was a hero, that he saved lives. It's a great legacy for a father to leave his children.''

[prognostigaator]

Rebump for heroes.....

[Johnny Shear]

LET'S ROLL! Make it the battle cry.

[prognostigaator]

this is the story......

[HalfIrish]

Many troops will be saying that when they're going into battle. This thing is going to be a rally cry.

[Countyline]

"Let's roll."

"Life is mostly froth and bubbles
Two things stand like stone
Kindness in anothers troubles
Courage in your own" ... an Irish poet ...

"Let's roll."

[Countyline]

please begin thread 2 .... it is slowing down in loading quite alot ... thanks ...

"Let's roll"

[Doctor Freeze]

Great story. Although the other three hijacked airplanes hit their ground targets, we cannot assume that several of the passengers aboard would not have done the same thing with the knowledge that the Flight 93 passengers were able to obtain.

I would think (and hope) that all Americans would have been so courageous in a similar circumstance as Flight 93, knowing that your plane was heading to Washington D.C. to take out a government building.

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks for the BUMP!

I have no doubt that at least one of our most signicicant national monuments...probably the White House or the Capitol, is standing right now because of these selfless American heroes...and more importantly, many American citiizens are still with their beloved families today...may their spirit of sacrifice for their friends and neighbors continue to inspire us all. I know I will never forget them.

See you later...gotta ROLL!!

;-)

[newzjunkey]

I remember it was reported to have been a truck fire.

[newzjunkey]

I'm with you. IMO, they had no bombs. It was a wonderful scare tactic to keep everyone in their seats!!! These people were professional.

Well before we heard any suggestion of bomb threats about the hijacked aircraft, I realized they must have made such threats--and must have been made in a realistic fashion--in order to keep dozens American 'sheeples' from taking action against four or five thugs armed with box cutters.

In point of fact, they depended upon our familiarity with terrorist hijackings both in the news and in the entertainment culture. If not for technology allowing passengers to discover the other hijackings and end results for those aircraft, who would seriously expect a group of hijackers to be lying. It's also somewhat noteworthy they pretty much all (if not all) were first-class passengers. I haven't been on a 757 in about 10 years but I know many aircraft don't have a curtain or anything else to keep people from having a clear view of the cabin for observation purposes. It might be a good idea to rethink that area of the aircraft.

[newzjunkey]

Another bump for a Hero's tale!

[truthkeeper]

Beautiful and moving. I am weeping as I type this.
God rest their courageous souls.

[Geezerette]

Amen! There are more than "two or three gathered together in His Name!"

Ya gave me goosebumps with that one! Thanks!!!

g

[prognostigaator]

Bump it for Todd Beamer...

[RonDog]

Thanks for the link, Hugh! See www.HughHewitt.com for a link to THIS THREAD!.

[firetooth]

I agree whole heartedly that these men were all heroes.
But, I believe that one passenger is being overlooked by the media. Richard Guadagno was a passenger on Flight 93 and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer. USFWS Law enforcement officers are federal law enforcers and go through some of the same training that FBI agents go through. I believe that he is a major part of this story that the media has yet to report on. I knew him personally and know that he was involved, especially with his background in law enforcement. He is also a hero in MY eyes.

[monsterbunny]

Eight Miles?? Insulation and papers found eight miles away??? I can imagine that might occur if there were tornados reported in the area...but...eight miles??? Ok..there is a huge rising fireball. Most anything flammable would have succumbed to that within moments. Or let's say some of the stuff managed to escape the heat and in the chaos of the 'mix' near the ground did manage to catch the thermal generated from the heat of the fire without getting toasted. Let's say the paper or insulation might have gained ...say...a couple thousand feet AGL on that ride. At some point the stuff would have to escape and begin its jouney back to earth. (Newton and all that.) Being carried by a brisk wind...let's say 15 miles per hour just for conservative argument's sake... and assuming that paper or insulation has a lousy lift/drag ratio of 1/1 then that paper or insulation might not travel more than...er...a very few thousand feet at most. (WAG) And I'm being VERY forgiving of the physics involved here. Now..some claim to have heard a bang or explosion prior to impact. One might argue that the noise could be the aircraft beginning to break up due to overspeed induced by a power on dive but generally the shredding of wings is the first indication of severe redlining...which did not happen. Not to say that it might not have begun to break up milliseconds before impact. But a simple look at the crater reveals that the wings were at the very least in the correct position upon impact. It can't be a sonic boom...From the position of the observers (feet squarely on the ground) the shock wave would have to follow the impact. And you can't drive one of those monsters into sonic-land without breaking them. Eight miles?? As a dabbling, porpoising sailplane pilot all I can say is I sure wish I had some of that insulation and paper aerodynamics to play around with. The L/D must have been absolutely awesome!!! I say they got hammered at high altitude...

[El Gato]

Osama's head in a jar on the Oval Office desk for Bush's next fireside chat.

With a webcam focused on it, so all his buddies and other like minded creatures can contemplate the the consequencies of anything they might be thinking of doing.

[Joe Brower]

Tom Burnett	Jeremy Glick	Todd Beamer

[John-In-Georgia]

The reason we REACT mindlessly to events, and perpetuate them, instead of initiating actions on our own terms, is that we fail to WORK thru the events within ourselves.