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Mark Bingham

From Alfawiki
Mark Bingham
Born (1970-05-22) May 22, 1970 (age 56)
United States
DiedSeptember 11, 2001(2001-09-11) (aged 31)
OccupationPublic relations professional
Known forPassenger revolt on United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks

Mark Kendall Bingham (May 22, 1970 – September 11, 2001) was an American public relations professional and the founder of the Bingham Group. He was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 during the terrorist attacks on September 11. Together with Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick, Bingham played a key role in organizing a passenger revolt against the hijackers, which resulted in the plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. This courageous act prevented the aircraft from reaching its intended target in Washington, D.C., believed to be either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

Bingham’s decisive leadership on Flight 93, combined with his athletic achievements, challenged prevailing stereotypes about LGBT individuals within both corporate environments and broader society.

Early life

Born on May 22, 1970, Mark Bingham was the sole child of Alice Hoagland and Gerald Bingham. Following his parents’ separation when he was two years old, he was raised primarily by his mother across Miami, Florida; Southern California; and eventually settled near San Jose, California from 1983 onward. During his adolescence, Bingham nurtured a passion for filmmaking, often using a video camera as a form of personal journaling. He completed his studies at Los Gatos High School in 1988, where he captained the rugby team for two consecutive years. At the University of California, Berkeley, Bingham contributed to two national championship-winning rugby squads under Coach Jack Clark and held the position of president within the Chi Psi fraternity. Upon graduating at age 21, he openly disclosed his sexual orientation to friends and family.

Rugby and business career

Measuring and weighing , Bingham competed with the gay-friendly rugby union club San Francisco Fog RFC, taking part in their inaugural games and tournaments while fostering rugby traditions among teammates. At the time of his passing, he had recently expanded his public relations enterprise by establishing a branch office in New York City and was actively considering launching a New York-based rugby team, the Gotham Knights, alongside associate Scott Glaessgen.

September 11, 2001

On September 11 morning, Bingham nearly missed boarding his flight to San Francisco to attend the wedding of fraternity brother Joseph Salama. Arriving at Newark International Airport at 7:40 am, he was the final passenger to board United Airlines Flight 93, occupying seat 4D next to Tom Burnett.

Originally scheduled to depart at 8:00 am, Flight 93 took off 42 minutes late due to runway congestion. Shortly thereafter, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 striking the South Tower. Flight 93 ascended to cruising altitude and proceeded westward over New Jersey into Pennsylvania. At approximately 9:25 am, pilots Jason Dahl and LeRoy Homer received an alert indicating unauthorized cockpit access. Soon after, hijackers led by Ziad Jarrah seized control of the aircraft, warning passengers about a bomb onboard and directing them toward the rear cabin. The plane then altered its course toward Washington, D.C.

Passengers including Bingham, Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick devised a plan to reclaim control of the airplane. They communicated their intentions through telephone calls to family members and officials. Bingham spoke with his aunt in California, conveying love and confirming his awareness of the hijacking situation. After learning about attacks on the World Trade Center, his mother encouraged him to resist.

Bingham joined Burnett and Glick—each tall and physically robust—in leading an assault on the cockpit. Other passengers and flight attendants also participated in this decision to act. The 9/11 Commission Report notes that audio recordings recovered from the flight captured sounds indicative of a struggle and passenger efforts to overpower hijackers.

At approximately 10:02 am, hijackers intentionally crashed Flight 93 into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at an estimated speed of 580 mph, resulting in no survivors. The aircraft was mere minutes away from its presumed Washington target—likely either the White House or U.S. Capitol building—when it went down. Vice President Dick Cheney later confirmed that President George W. Bush had authorized military action to shoot down the plane if necessary.

Legacy

Mark Bingham is remembered by his parents, the Hoagland family who played a significant role in his upbringing, his stepmother and stepsiblings, as well as his partner of six years, Paul Holm. Holm described Bingham as a courageous and fiercely competitive individual who "hated to lose—at anything." Notably, Bingham proudly bore a scar he received during the Running of the Bulls event in Pamplona, Spain. He was laid to rest at Madronia Cemetery in Saratoga, California.

On September 17, 2001, Senators John McCain and Barbara Boxer held a commemorative ceremony honoring victims from the San Francisco Bay Area affected by the attacks, during which they presented a folded American flag to Paul Holm. Bingham received commendations from every U.S. President of that era, including Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

In 2002, the Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament—commonly known as the Bingham Cup—was inaugurated as a biennial international rugby union competition primarily for gay and bisexual men to honor his legacy. That same year, Bingham and the other passengers aboard Flight 93 were posthumously awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

The gymnasium at San Francisco’s Eureka Valley Recreation Center was renamed the Mark Bingham Gymnasium in August 2002 as a tribute to him. Singer Melissa Etheridge dedicated her 2004 song "Tuesday Morning" in his memory.

Beginning in 2005, the UC Berkeley Foundation together with the California Alumni Association established the Mark Bingham Award for Excellence in Achievement by Young Alumni. This accolade recognizes alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their communities or beyond and is presented annually at Berkeley’s Charter Gala.

At the National 9/11 Memorial, Bingham’s name appears alongside other Flight 93 passengers on Panel S-67 at the South Pool. Additionally, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, his name is inscribed on one of the 40 polished granite panels that compose the Wall of Names.

The 2013 documentary The Rugby Player focuses on both Bingham and his mother Alice Hoagland—a former United Airlines flight attendant who became an advocate for airline safety and LGBT rights following his passing. ESPN praised the film as "an insightful and stereotype-shattering exploration" of Bingham’s life. Directed by Scott Gracheff, it features extensive footage that Bingham recorded from his teenage years until shortly before his death. The alternate title With You reflects a common rugby phrase and one of Bingham’s favorite sayings. The documentary premiered on Australia’s ABC2 channel on August 20, 2014.

In popular culture

  • The television movie The Flight That Fought Back (2005) dramatizes the passenger revolt aboard United Airlines Flight 93, with Jason LeGrande portraying Mark Bingham.
  • American actor Cheyenne Jackson depicted him in United 93, while Canadian actor Ty Olsson portrayed him in Flight 93.
  • Mark Bingham is alluded to, though not explicitly named, in Melissa Etheridge’s song "Tuesday Morning" from her album Breakdown.

Further reading

  • Barrett, Jon Mark Bingham: Hero of Flight 93, Advocate Books, 2002
  • "UNITED FLIGHT 93: Passengers Committed to Fight Until the End on Doomed Flight" The New York Times. September 13, 2001

External links

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