Source: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
From Shanksville, Pennsylvania the president marked the
anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by honoring the heroes of United
Flight 93.
The president recalled the final moments before the
flight crashed into a field in southern PA, forever remembered now in the
immortal words of passenger Todd Beamer, who led a counter-attack on al-Qaeda
terrorists who had taken over the cockpit.
Beamer was on the phone with GTE airphone supervisor Lisa
Jefferson, who has since recounted the heroic tale of the United 93 passengers.
He informed Jefferson that he didn't think they would make it but that he and a
group of passengers and flight crew were going to charge the cockpit and stop
the terrorists.
After asking Jefferson to tell his family he loved them
and reciting the Lord's Prayer along with fellow passengers, Beamer put the
phone down. But Jefferson heard what happened next.
"Are you ready?" Beamer asked his fellow
passengers. "OK, Let's roll."
That would prove to be the final transmission from Flight
93 just moments before the plane hit the ground at 500 miles per hour. Beamer
and other passengers successfully took control of the aircraft from the
terrorists and veered into the ground before the intended target could be
reached.
On Friday, 19 years later, the president marked the
uncommon courage and patriotism of those on board.
"When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our
democracy, the 40 of Flight 93 did the most American of things: They took a
vote, and then they acted," he said. "Together, they charged the
cockpit, they confronted pure evil, and in their last act on this earth, they
saved our capital."
"The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder
that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America
will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back."
For Trump, the bravery of those on board also stopped the
terrorists from succeeding in their goal of destroying American fortitude and
spirit.
"When the moment came, when history called, they did
not hesitate. they did not waiver. 40 towering patriots rose up, took charge,
made their stand, turned the tide, and changed the course of history
forever."
The president also mourned the lives lost in the attack
in New York City and at the Pentagon, and honored the heroes that emerged after
the attacks. Among others, Trump specifically honored the bravery of retired
Marine Sgts. Jason Thomas and Davide Kearns, who led a rescue mission at Ground
Zero. Moved to action by the blatant attack on Americans, The Marines traveled
immediately to New York to aid in the rescue and recovery operation at Ground
Zero. There, they found two Port Authority police officers buried in the rubble
– Sgt. John McLoughlin and Officer Will Jimeno and secured their rescue.
The president also praised American resilience in the
face of tremendous adversity.
"We were united by our conviction that America was
the world’s most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes,
and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a
unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our
fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first
responders, faith in God — and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved
forces of violence, intimidation, oppression, and evil."
