"Let's roll!"
These two simple words have become America's rallying cry
since September 11. They're everywhere — on bumpers stickers, in
rock songs, and in several speeches given by President
Bush.
They're the last known words Todd Beamer spoke as he and other passengers
tried to take back control of United Airlines Flight 93 from terrorists.
The plane crashed in Pennsylvania, killing all 37 people on board.
But the courage of passengers like Beamer stopped the terrorists
from using the plane to possibly attack the White House, the U.S.
Capitol, or some other building in Washington D.C.
Todd Beamer's wife, Lisa, is doing her best to honor their bravery.
In the weeks after September 11, she set up the Todd Beamer Foundation
to help children who lost parents on Flight 93.
"I've chosen to live in hope," said Lisa Beamer. "The pain is real,
but so is the hope."
After learning about the lives of those killed on Flight 93, Lisa
realized that many of those killed left behind children. Lisa knows
how hard it is to lose a parent. Her own father died when she was
15. She will now be raising her three children alone: David, 4;
Drew, 2; and Morgan Kay, born on January 9, 2002, four months after
her father's death.
"We're progressing a little," she said. "But we're sad because that
same passage of time is causing our memories to fade."
For Lisa, helping children is the best way to keep the memory of
her husband alive. Both she and Todd were youth sponsors and Sunday
school teachers at their church in their hometown of Plainsboro,
New Jersey. Todd coached little league baseball teams in his spare
time.
To help raise money for the foundation, artists and musicians such
as Wynonna, Nicole C. Mullen, Yo Yo Ma, Chaka Khan, Jeff Carson,
and Selah have contributed their talents to a special tribute CD
titled
Let's Roll.
Lisa has also written a book titled
Let's Roll! Ordinary People,
Extraordinary Courage, to help the foundation. In the book,
Lisa talks about the suffering she endured in the days and months
following the tragic events of September 11. She also discusses
the faith and hope that has helped her through it all.
"My faith shows me at least a little of God's perspective on our
world and on my life," she said. "And that there is a good purpose
to it all."
Do you think these kids are heroes? To nominate a hero into our
Hall of Heroes,
click here.
