LeRoy Homer Jr.
LeRoy Wilton Homer Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 August 1965 West Germany |
| Died | 11 September 2001 (aged 36) Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Commercial pilot, U.S. Air Force pilot |
| Years active | 1987–2001 |
| Known for | First Officer aboard United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks |
LeRoy Wilton Homer Jr. (August 27, 1965 – September 11, 2001) served as the First Officer aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11 attacks and ultimately crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of all 44 individuals onboard, including Homer.
Early life
Born to a West German mother and an American soldier father stationed in West Germany, Homer was raised on Long Island, New York. As one of nine siblings, he cultivated a strong enthusiasm for aviation from a young age—building model aircraft, gathering related memorabilia, and immersing himself in aviation literature. His father encouraged this passion by taking him to McArthur Airport to observe aircraft activities during family outings.
At age 15, Homer began formal flight training in a Cessna 152, financing his lessons through various part-time jobs. He completed his initial solo flight by 16 and secured his private pilot's license in 1983. He graduated from Ss. Cyril and Methodius School in 1979 and later from St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in 1983.
Career and personal life
Homer joined the United States Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 1987 and graduated on May 27, 1987, receiving a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Following pilot training completion in 1988, he was stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, piloting the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. His service included participation in the Gulf War and support missions in Somalia, earning multiple accolades. In 1993, he was honored as the Twenty-First Air Force "Aircrew Instructor of the Year." Homer attained the rank of captain before an honorable discharge from active duty in 1995, transitioning to reserve status.
While serving with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, he functioned as a C-141 instructor pilot with the 356th Airlift Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and later took on duties as an Academy Liaison Officer recruiting for both the Air Force Academy and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. During this time, he achieved the rank of major.
In May 1995, Homer commenced employment with United Airlines, initially working as a flight engineer before advancing to the role of First Officer on the Boeing 757/Boeing 767 fleet from 1996 until his passing.
He married Melodie on May 24, 1998; together they had a daughter named Laurel, born in late November 2000. The family resided in Marlton, New Jersey.
September 11 attacks
On September 11, 2001, Homer served as co-pilot alongside Captain Jason M. Dahl on United Airlines Flight 93, which departed from Newark, New Jersey en route to San Francisco. The aircraft was seized by four al-Qaeda terrorists amid the events of the September 11 attacks. Homer and Dahl engaged in efforts to resist the hijackers, with their struggle transmitted live to Air Traffic Control.
After learning about earlier crashes at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, passengers and crew attempted to regain command of the plane. Confronted with opposition and aware that the hijackers would not reach their targeted destination—the US Capitol—the terrorists ultimately crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Posthumously, Homer was honored with several awards including honorary membership among the historic Tuskegee Airmen, the Congress of Racial Equality's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Drum Major for Justice Award, and the Westchester County Trailblazer Award.
He was survived by his wife Melodie and daughter Laurel, along with his mother, seven sisters, and one brother. Melodie Homer established the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation, which grants scholarships supporting aviation education.
At the National 9/11 Memorial, Homer Jr.'s name is inscribed on Panel S-67 at the South Pool alongside other crew members and passengers of Flight 93.
In May 2021, Homer Jr. was chosen as the class Exemplar by the graduating class of 2024 at the United States Air Force Academy, an annual distinction honoring individuals whose qualities cadets strive to emulate.
See Also
Further reading
- Melodie Homer, From Where I Stand: Flight #93 Pilot's Widow Sets the Record Straight ()
External links
- "United Pilot Was a Proud Papa, Helped Others", Newsday.
- "Huge crowd remembers LeRoy Homer Jr.", phillyBurbs.com.
- LeRoy Homer Foundation
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1965 births
- 2001 deaths
- 21st-century American people
- 21st-century African-American people
- American people of German descent
- Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
- American commercial aviators
- Military personnel from Burlington County, New Jersey
- Murdered African-American people
- People from Evesham Township, New Jersey
- People from Long Island
- St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School alumni
- Tuskegee Airmen
- United Airlines Flight 93 victims
- United States Air Force Academy alumni
- United States Air Force personnel of the Gulf War