Todd Beamer’s heroism continues to be remembered today, as his words “Let’s Roll” remind others of the heroic efforts from the passengers of United Flight 93, who fought to take control of their hijacked plane during terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
As the hijackers flew the plane on a path to Washington, D.C., after diverting the plane’s non-stop course from Newark to San Francisco, Beamer and other passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 thwarted the planned attack and the plane crashed in an open field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
There were no survivors of the crash.
Beamer, who was a Cranbury resident, was recently honored with the Courage Award from the FOX Nation third annual Patriot Awards on Nov. 17 for his heroic efforts on that Sept. 11 flight. His parents David and Peggy Beamer accepted the award on his behalf.
“We remember what kind of man he was, what kind of dad he was, what kind of leader he was,” David Beamer said on Nov. 17. “He did what needed to be done.”
United Flight 93, which did not reach an intended target, was one of four flights hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001. The other flights that day were American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon; American Airlines Flight 11, which was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York; and United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower.
Around Cranbury, Beamer is remembered as the local post office on Main Street is named after him, in Heritage Park, and also there also is a scholarship provided by the Cranbury Lions Club.
At the time of his death, Beamer, who was born in Flint, Michigan, worked for the Oracle Corporation. After the crash of United Flight 93, he would be survived by his wife Lisa and their three children.
Lisa Beamer would later set up the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, which was created to help assist other children who lost parents on Flight 93 and on Sept. 11. The foundation’s name was later changed to Heroic Choices before it dissolved due to foundation struggles financially.
Each year on the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, Cranbury in its remembrance ceremony of those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks and after, remember and honor Beamer and his efforts with the other passengers of United Flight 93 in fighting the hijackers and thwarting their plans.
