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.''

[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...

[CENTVRIO EQVITVM]

Thank you for this post.

All honor and G-d's blessings to Mr. Beamer and his family.

I have heard and I will remember.

Prepare to Mount!
Mount!
Battle carry HEAT, report REDCON ONE!
RED UP!
WHITE UP!
BLUE UP!
GREEN UP!
Weapons Free!
Lets Roll!

[prognostigaator]

Ms. Beamer on Larry King now.

[Hubie59]

Nah. The FDR Memorial was, in my opinion, the best of all. You're right. A toast to socialism amd nanny government. At least he didn't get caught off guard with Pearl Harbor.

[gortklattu]

May this thread never die

[RonDog]

May this thread never die

No chance of that.

See: Let's Roll - President George W. Bush, 11-8-01
Posted on 11/08/2001 17:36:30 PST by tallhappy

[RonDog]

Great website on flight Fl 93

I could not get your link to work, but THIS ONE does:
http://professor2222.tripod.com/Flight-93/Flight93.htm

Very interesting graphics!

[timestax]

bttt

[Humidston]

Thanks for the ping, Timestax. I loved re-reading about our true American hero. We probably need to read it several times so we can memorize it in case we're called upon to conduct ourselves in similar circumstances. Bless you!

[timestax]

Remember the heros !!

[timestax]

bttt

[Rainbow Rising]

Ever since September 11th, I sometimes have moments where I'm very fearful and unsure of what the future will hold. I read about the possibility that OBL and his boys might get their hands on nukes, and it gives me a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach, because 9/11 proved that they are ruthless enough to do anything.

But then I think about the bravery of those passengers on Flight 93, and it makes me feel hopeful and strong once again. My mother used to tell me that as long as there are people who are willing to stand up for what is right, this nation will not be destroyed. After 8 years of the Clintons I found it very hard to believe those words. I don't have any trouble believing them now.

[timestax]

AMEN !!

[RonDog]

See also the FR thread about the EXCELLENT Newsweek article (12/3/01):

The Real Story of Flight 93
Posted on 11/26/01 5:18 AM Pacific by InvisibleChurch

[timestax]

Great, sobering inspiring post Re. post by InvisibleChurch!! They MUST get a memorial! How about Postage stamp memorial!!

[4TheFlag]

2 simple words sum it ALL up........

LET'S ROLL!!!!!

We have our orders from a HERO......

[A Navy Vet]

Chokes me up every time.

[Aggie Mama]

I'm so glad that most of you seem to be praising all of the people on the flight. A friend of a friend lost their daughter on the flight, and they along with some of the other Flt 93 families that they have been in contact with, are mad at the blonde widow (Beamer's wife) for doing all the interviews. Apparently, they feel, and rightfully so, that it was a group effort that got them into that cabin. We also found out that the daughter that died was 12 weeks pregnant. =(

[4TheFlag]

Heard that Brother, Thank You for Your service to our Great Nation, May God Continue to Bless Her...

Let's Roll!!!!!!