Wheaton Christian Grammar School Onboard United Flight 93

Roger Burgess

Some of us remember exactly where we were when the tragic news came out of Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963— President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Even more of us know exactly where we were on September 11, 2001, when we heard and then quickly watched two planes crashing into the World Trade Center, one slamming into the Pentagon. and a final plane spiraling down into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. But it’s the estimated 75 million Americans who have been born since September 11, 2001, that prompted me to tell you about Todd Beamer and United Flight 93.

Wheaton Christian Grammar School

Todd was born near Flint, Michigan, in November 1968, where he lived for six years. The Beamer family moved to Poughkeepsie, New York, for a couple of years before his parents settled in Glen Ellyn, just a mile from the old Wheaton Christian Grammar School on Harrison Street. Todd attended the grammar school for grades 4-8, and his parents put a high value on family loyalty, faith in God and personal integrity. Todd stood out for many reasons—his sense of humor and heartwarming smile, his positive spirit, his athletic ability and his work ethic. A quiet young man with an inner strength, Todd wasn’t one to draw attention to himself, as some junior-highers are prone to do. On the soccer field and basketball court, Todd was focused and intense, and one of the hardest working athletes I have ever coached. Off the court, Todd was a friendly, humble and thoughtful gentleman. I cannot think of a better combination. In addition to teaching Todd Bible and math in junior high, I coached him in seventh-grade soccer and basketball. I remember one specific basketball game that epitomizes Todd. We were playing one of our rivals, Timothy Christian, when he was fouled with 2.4 seconds left, and we were losing, 43-42. Todd was at the free throw line for a one-and-one. If he missed the first shot, he would not be given the second. He was calm under pressure and didn’t lose his focus. He sank the first to tie the game. Then he made the second shot. We won, 44-43! In the 13 years I coached seventh-grade basketball, Todd was my top scorer. (I can’t believe Todd’s dad actually took this picture!) Bottom line, we were never out of a game because he and his teammates wouldn’t quit. It wasn’t in his vocabulary. And when the game was on the line, I was glad the ball was in Todd’s hands.

I don’t want you to think Todd was perfect. I’ll tell you that he wasn’t the best student. He had Bs and Cs on his report cards with a few As. As an adult, he was not very handy around the house. The most valuable item in his toolbox wasn’t a tool; it was a piece of paper with the phone number of his friend Doug who could fix anything. It encouraged me, however, that the selfless attitude I saw in junior high was also evident in Todd’s death. He was a person of character who knew what he stood for. He was a man of faith. That began when, as a boy of 10, he committed his life to Jesus Christ. When his character and conviction were tested, he responded in a manner consistent with his entire life. In the Flight 93 Museum, there is a display of the book, A Life of Integrity, by Howard Hendricks. The sign reads: “Todd Beamer was studying this book with his church men’s group prior to his trip on September 11.” Todd and Lisa married in 1994 and lived in New Jersey where Todd worked for the Oracle Corporation, then the world’s second largest computer software company. God blessed them with a couple of boys David and Drew. Even though he lived in New Jersey, Todd remained a loyal fan of the Bulls, Bears and Cubs. The week prior to September 11, 2001, Todd and Lisa were in Italy on a trip Todd had won at work. Lisa was 4½ months pregnant at the time. They returned home on September 10, excited to see their boys again, before Dad headed off to San Francisco early the next morning.

September 11, 2001

Prior to 9/11, I thought of hijacking in terms of someone forcing a plane to land at a different destination than intended . . . but it did land safely. The idea of using a plane as a loaded missile was foreign to my thinking, our thinking as a country, really. Most of the phone calls from Flight 93 were made to family members. At 9:44 Todd picked up the phone from the back of the seat in front of him and dialed the operator. Supervisor Lisa Jefferson was in Oakbrook when Todd’s call came through and was transferred to her. That 15-minute call provided much firm data with an objective listener and less emotion involved. Lisa described Todd as a calm, soft-spoken man. Lisa Jefferson herself was a quiet lady but extremely factual and articulate. She was a strong woman, yet she was also very caring and compassionate. Of the heroes of September 11, she was probably the closest to us here in Chicago.

Todd provided an assessment and described the violent takeover of the plane. He asked Lisa to call his family and let them know how much he loved them. He mentioned that four of the passengers were going to do something, maybe jump the guy who said he had a bomb.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do, Todd?” “It’s what we have to do.”

He asked Lisa to recite the Lord’s Prayer with him. At the conclusion, Todd said, “Jesus, help me.” Then Todd recited Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Shepherd. . . Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Other men apparently joined in with him. After that he had a sigh in his voice, and he took a deep breath. He was still holding the phone but talking to someone else. “Are you ready? Okay. Let’s roll!” When Todd went to work on September 11, he had no idea what the day would bring, but he was prepared. Todd’s final preparation based on his phone call:

• Assess the situation

• Leave words for his loved ones

• Pray to his heavenly Father as Jesus taught us to pray

• Ask God for help

The passengers won the first battle of that new war 32,000 feet over Pittsburgh by thwarting the terrorists’ mission. If not for Flight 93, the terrorists would have been four for four. Todd went to work as a civilian and became a soldier.

I came across an article in The Tribune-Democrat newspaper from Johnstown, PA, dated October 22, 2001, a month after the crash. The article stated, “Teams of emergency personnel who responded to the crash of Flight 93 near Shanksville made a discovery that shocked and inspired them. Resting not far from the smoldering, 25-foot-deep crater where 40 innocent victims perished, firefighters found a Bible that was barely singed. Only minutes before, the area had been a raging inferno as jet fuel ignited into a fireball when the plane plowed into the earth. “Initial responders said they found literally nothing on the ground that indicated that a jetliner had crashed. Most said they expected to see wings or a tail section intact, but as a witness said, “Other than a piece of the fuselage (6’ x 7’), there were no pieces bigger than a dinner plate anywhere to be found. “A National Guard member arrived about 45 minutes after the crash. ‘The fumes of jet fuel burned my nostrils,’ he said. ‘There were only two recognizable things on the ground—a burning tire from the landing gear and the Bible laying open on the ground with its pages as white as snow.’ “The leather cover on the Bible was singed, but none of the pages were burned. It was an older Bible that you could tell was used a lot.”

September 10-11, 2021

On the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, my wife, Janet, and I, along with my grammar school colleague Steve Clum and his wife, represented the Todd Beamer family and took part in the remembrance services in Shanksville (PA) at the Flight 93 Memorial. On Friday night, Steve and I carried Todd’s lantern and placed it along the wall by Todd’s name. On Saturday morning, former President George W. Bush and Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke at the service. President Biden arrived sometime later to place a wreath by the Wall of Names and to speak to family members by the boulder in the field that marks where Flight 93 crashed. The sign “A Common Field One Day; a Field of Honor Forever.” My motivation in going to Shanksville was to be an encouragement to family members who had sustained significant losses 20 years earlier. I also prayed for opportunities to point people to Jesus; only he can give them complete comfort and peace. On the nine-hour drive, I prayed as I read and studied the bios of the 40 passengers and crew who had died on that flight. I didn’t know who God might put in my path over the weekend. On Friday night, I met Lindsey* who was five years old when her uncle died. We talked for 15-20 minutes. I listened carefully and eventually said that we all must be ready to meet God because none of us knows when we will die. And I told Lindsey that I wanted to see her in heaven. “You were just two when your mom died?” I replied, shocked. “Yes, and my brother was just one.” Tears welled up in our eyes. We talked briefly until it was time for the lanterns to be carried a quarter of a mile to the Wall of Names. We listened to a lot of stories that Friday night and also met other believers and heard stories of God’s work on September 11 and in subsequent days. On Saturday morning, we went through the security checkpoint and walked to the restricted area where the family members were gathering. I searched for a couple of hours and was disappointed when I couldn’t find Lindsey or Lisa. After the program, the gate was opened to allow the families to walk down on the Field of Honor to the site of impact. While there, Lindsey came up to me and wanted me to meet her mother. Before we parted, I gave Lindsey a Decision magazine from September 2002 that featured Lisa Beamer’s picture on the cover and clearly laid out the gospel inside. I again repeated that I wanted to see her in heaven.

Please pray for Lindsey. Pray that she would read the magazine and realize how much God loves her. Pray that she would fall in love with Jesus, commit her life to him, and be completely ready to meet God in eternity. (I’m sorry to say that I did not have an opportunity to speak with Lisa again, but please pray for her heart, too.) When President Biden walked across the field to meet with the 30 or so family members who were still there, I was surprised to have an opportunity to speak with him. I introduced myself as a teacher and coach of Todd Beamer. I said to him, “With all the significant decisions you have to make, I pray that you would depend upon God and seek his wisdom.” He put his hand in his pocket and took out a rosary ring to show me and indicated that he prays. Please be faithful in praying for President Biden. It is our responsibility to pray for those who are in authority over us (1 Timothy 2:1-2). He has enormous responsibilities and all kinds of pressure on him. Pray that he would seek God’s direction, be a man of integrity and be courageous to take a stand for what is right.

As I reflect on the weekend, these three thoughts came to mind:

1. Appreciate the freedoms we enjoy. Enjoy what we have, even though the times have changed. The world will never be the same. The passengers of Flight 93 didn’t quit fighting for freedom. Neither should we. Appreciate and support our military and our first responders— our local fire and police. They put their lives on the line every day.

2. Enjoy and appreciate your family. I was with Todd’s father, David, a year after 9/11. He said, “My heart is overflowing with sadness. We miss Todd terribly. And my heart is overflowing with joy. We have a lot of great memories. . . but we can’t make any more.” Let your family know you love them. If you need to apologize or make things right, do it. Love your family!

3. What would Todd say if he were here today? I’ll go back to something else Todd’s dad said. He said, “Everyone keeps talking about September 11. It’s not about September 11; it’s all about the day before.” In other words, be prepared for eternity. Todd didn’t know he was going to die that day, but because of his relationship with Jesus, he was prepared! Another young man who died unexpectedly and early said, “When it comes time to die, be very sure that all you have to do is die.” - Jim Elliot

* Names changed.