Todd Beamer

Todd Beamer
Born	(1968-11-24) November 24, 1968 Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Died	September 11, 2001(2001-09-11) (aged 32) Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Sales representative
Known for	Passenger who attempted to thwart hijackers on United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks

Todd Morgan Beamer (November 24, 1968 – September 11, 2001) was an American traveler aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked and ultimately crashed during the September 11 attacks. He was one of the passengers who attempted to overpower the hijackers. The aircraft went down in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of everyone on board but averting further loss of life at the terrorists' intended destination.

Biography

Todd was born in Flint, Michigan to David Beamer, who worked as an IBM sales representative, and Peggy Jackson Beamer, a mural artist. He was the second of three siblings. The family relocated first to Poughkeepsie, New York and later to Wheaton, Illinois, where David took a position with Amdahl Corporation. Todd attended Wheaton Christian Grammar School followed by Wheaton Academy, where he distinguished himself in soccer, basketball, and baseball. After his father’s job transfer to Amdahl’s headquarters in California, Todd finished his final year at Los Gatos High School in California.

Initially pursuing physical therapy at California State University, Fresno, Beamer also played baseball with professional ambitions until a car accident ended that path. He then transferred to Wheaton College, changing his major from medicine to business while continuing his athletic involvement; as a senior, he captained the basketball team and graduated in 1991.

During his time at Wheaton College, he met Lisa Brosious; the couple married in 1994. Beamer completed an M.B.A. at DePaul University in 1993 while employed by Wilson Sporting Goods.

Following their marriage, they settled in Plainsboro, New Jersey, where Beamer began working for Oracle Corporation as a field marketing representative specializing in systems applications and database software sales. Within months, he was promoted to account manager, a position he held until his passing.

Both Todd and Lisa were actively involved in youth ministry and served as Sunday school teachers at Princeton Alliance Church for six years. He also participated on the church’s softball team and was an avid supporter of Chicago sports franchises including the Cubs, Bulls, and Bears. In 2000, the Beamers moved to Cranbury, New Jersey with their two sons.

Flight 93

Beamer frequently traveled for work and was rewarded with a five-day trip to Italy in 2001 due to his outstanding sales performance. After returning home on September 10, he opted to spend time with his pregnant wife rather than attend a scheduled business meeting in California. Early the next morning, he departed from Newark en route to San Francisco for discussions with Sony representatives.

United Flight 93 experienced a 42-minute delay before taking off at 8:42 am. Shortly thereafter, two other hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center towers. At approximately 9:25 am over eastern Ohio, Flight 93's pilot reported an alert indicating unauthorized cockpit access. Hijackers led by Ziad Jarrah seized control of the aircraft and warned passengers about a bomb onboard while redirecting the flight toward Washington, D.C.

Passengers learned about earlier attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon through phone conversations and coordinated a plan of action. Beamer spoke with GTE airphone supervisor Lisa Jefferson, providing details about the hijacking and weapons present on board. As the plane made a sharp southward turn, Beamer informed Jefferson that they were "going down."

Among those who organized resistance were Beamer along with Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, and Jeremy Glick. Together with other passengers and flight attendants Sandra Bradshaw and CeeCee Lyles, they agreed to storm the cockpit to stop the hijackers’ attack. Before joining the effort, Beamer prayed with Jefferson and asked her to convey his love to his family if he did not survive. His final audible words were "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."

According to the 9/11 Commission Report, cockpit audio recordings captured sounds of passengers struggling against hijackers amid shouts and crashing noises. Despite Jarrah’s attempts to regain control by violently pitching the plane, passengers persisted until it crashed inverted at roughly 563 mph into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The impact site was approximately 20 minutes away from its likely target—either the White House or U.S. Capitol. Vice President Dick Cheney confirmed that President George W. Bush had authorized shooting down the aircraft if it remained on course toward Washington.

Legacy

Todd Beamer left behind his wife, Lisa, their sons David and Andrew ("Drew"), and a daughter, Morgan, who was born after his passing in January 2002. Both President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush sent personal letters to Morgan, acknowledging Beamer’s national recognition for his bravery. In a speech delivered to Congress on September 20, 2001, President Bush described Beamer as "an exceptional man" and later referenced Beamer’s final phrase, "Let's roll," in multiple addresses including the 2002 State of the Union, using it as a symbol of American determination and valor.

In October 2001, a nonprofit organization was founded to assist children impacted by the events of 9/11, with Beamer’s close friend Doug Macmillan appointed as its leader. Lisa Beamer co-wrote Let's Roll! Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage in 2002, further strengthening the family’s commitment to preserving Todd’s memory.

That same year, the passengers aboard Flight 93 were posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. In May 2002, the post office in Cranbury, New Jersey, was officially named after Beamer through legislation signed by President Bush. Wheaton College, Beamer’s undergraduate institution, paid tribute in 2003 by inaugurating the Todd M. Beamer Center. Additionally, Todd Beamer High School opened its doors in Federal Way, Washington that year. In 2010, Fresno, California dedicated a public space named Todd Beamer Park.

The Flight 93 National Memorial located in Stonycreek Township includes a visitor center and a white marble Wall of Names completed in 2011, where Beamer’s name is etched alongside those of other passengers and crew members. At the National September 11 Memorial in New York City, he is commemorated on Panel S-68 of the South Pool. Artifacts such as an Oracle business card and his Rolex watch recovered from the crash site are exhibited within the memorial museum.

On September 10, 2013, Wheaton Academy revealed a plaque honoring Todd Beamer. To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, Nicholas Hahn III, an alumnus of DePaul University, established the Todd M. Beamer Memorial Scholarship aimed at motivating students through Beamer’s example of leadership and bravery.

In popular culture

• Bryan Friday portrays Todd Beamer in the 2005 television movie The Flight That Fought Back, which dramatizes the passenger revolt aboard United Airlines Flight 93.
• In the 2006 TV film Flight 93, Brennan Elliott assumes the role of Beamer.
• David Alan Basche depicts him in the 2006 feature film United 93.
• Beamer is featured in two panels within The Amazing Spider-Man (Volume 2, issue #36, December 2001), where Spider-Man pays tribute to Flight 93 passengers as "Ordinary men. Ordinary women. Refusing to surrender."
• Neil Young’s song "Let's Roll," composed after the attacks, serves as a homage to Beamer from his perspective.

External links

• Photos from the dedication of the Cranbury Post Office
• – cenotaph located at the Flight 93 National Memorial, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
• – gravesite at Brainerd Cemetery in Cranbury, New Jersey