“Let’s Roll…” | The Courage of Todd Beamer and Flight 93

Introduction

On September 11, 2001, as terrorists turned four planes into weapons, three reached their targets. The fourth never did — because of the extraordinary courage of ordinary passengers.

United Airlines Flight 93, bound for San Francisco, became a battleground in the skies. On board were 40 passengers and crew members who, upon realizing their plane had been hijacked, made a fateful decision: they would not sit quietly. They would fight back.

Among them was Todd Beamer, a 32-year-old father of two. His final words, “Let’s roll,” became a rallying cry for a nation, symbolizing defiance, bravery, and sacrifice.

A Routine Flight

Flight 93 took off from Newark, New Jersey, at 8:42 a.m. It was supposed to be a routine trip to San Francisco. Todd Beamer, a sales manager for Oracle Corporation, boarded the plane that morning after kissing his wife, Lisa, and their two young sons goodbye.

For the first hour, everything was normal. Passengers settled into their seats, read newspapers, sipped coffee. But at 9:28 a.m., the calm was shattered when four hijackers stormed the cockpit.

The Plan Revealed

Passengers were herded to the back of the plane. Some were stabbed. The hijackers claimed to have a bomb. At first, passengers thought it was a standard hijacking, but then they learned the terrible truth:

Using cell phones and Airfones, they called their families. News came through about the planes that had already struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The passengers of Flight 93 realized: their plane was part of the same plot. Its target was believed to be either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

They had a choice — sit and wait for certain death, or fight back.

The Decision to Fight

A group of passengers quickly formed a plan. Among them were:

• Todd Beamer

• Tom Burnett, a businessman from California

• Mark Bingham, a rugby player from San Francisco

• Jeremy Glick, a judo champion from New Jersey

Together, they decided they would storm the cockpit and retake the plane. They knew they would likely die — but they also knew they might save countless lives on the ground.

Todd Beamer’s Final Call

Before the fight, Todd Beamer made one last phone call. Using a GTE Airfone, he connected with Lisa Jefferson, a phone supervisor in Illinois.

He told her about the hijacking, about the plan to storm the cockpit. He asked her to pray with him, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm.

Then he said words that would echo in history:

“Are you ready? Let’s roll.”

The Battle in the Sky

At 9:57 a.m., the passengers launched their counterattack. Using boiling water from the galley as a weapon, they rushed the cockpit. Sounds of a struggle, shouts, and screams were recorded on the cockpit voice recorder.

The hijackers, realizing they were losing control, tried to crash the plane prematurely.

At 10:03 a.m., Flight 93 plummeted into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at over 500 miles per hour. All 40 passengers and crew on board were killed instantly.

But the hijackers’ plan had failed. The U.S. Capitol or White House — and the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives inside — were saved.

The Legacy of “Let’s Roll”

Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers became national heroes. President George W. Bush honored them in speeches, calling their actions proof that ordinary citizens could change the course of history.

Todd’s widow, Lisa Beamer, later wrote a book about his life and founded the Todd M. Beamer Foundation to support children who lost parents in 9/11.

“Let’s roll” became more than just words — it became a call to courage, a reminder of the strength found in unity and defiance in the face of evil.

Why Their Story Still Matters

The story of Flight 93 is unlike any other on 9/11. It wasn’t firefighters in uniform or trained soldiers who fought back — it was everyday people: business travelers, parents, students, and flight attendants.

They had no weapons, no training, no guarantee of success. What they had was courage — and the determination to save lives, even if it meant losing their own.

On Patriot Day, when we remember the tragedy and heroism of September 11, the sacrifice of Flight 93 stands as a shining example of ordinary Americans doing something extraordinary.

Conclusion

On September 11, 2001, terror filled the skies. But on Flight 93, bravery took over. Todd Beamer and the other passengers refused to be victims. Instead, they chose to be heroes.

They gave their lives so that others might live. They proved that even in the darkest hour, courage can turn the tide.

🇺🇸 We will never forget Flight 93. We will never forget “Let’s roll.”