“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” (Christopher Reeve). Many years ago, heroes were portrayed as attractive strong people who ride in to save the day and are admired for their acts of heroism. Today a hero is someone who puts themselves at risk for the common good of others whether they are recognized for their actions or not. Some people see athletes and actors as heroes, but are they really risking anything for others? A hero is defined as someone who commits an act of incredible bravery or who has shown admirable qualities such as great courage or acts of selflessness. A true example of heroism were the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93. Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled flight that was hijacked by four Al-Qaeda terrorists on board, as part of the September 11 attacks. It crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, during an attempt by the passengers and crew to regain control of the plane. These individuals formed a brave resistance that defined heroism and will live in this nation’s memory forever.
The 43 passengers who fought back against the hijackers performed one of the most courageous acts in history. “They boarded the planes as strangers and they entered eternity linked together as true heroes” (President Trump). They were not trained soldiers, but banned together nonetheless and fought back to protect our country from this horrific act of violence. ‘The moment America’s democracy was under attack our citizens defied their captors by holding a vote,’ he said, ‘The choice they made would cost them their lives” (President Bush Jr.). In an act of courage and in the face of fear, the passengers took a vote on how they were going to fight back. The passengers all knew they were not going to make it, but they did not want to risk more people dying on the ground. This was a true example of heroism because they courageously made the decision as a group to put the lives of others before their own.
A hero is somebody who puts others ahead of their own well being. The passengers of Flight 93 defined selflessness. ‘It gives me a great deal of comfort to know my son may have been able to avert the killing of many, many innocent people’ (Alice Hoglan). The act of selflessness by the passengers of Flight 93 saved countless lives in Washington D.C. They knew they were going to die but they made the decision to go down fighting. “My heroes put others’ lives before their own and saved many people from their fate. If it wasn’t for those men, the people in the building that the hijackers were going to hit wouldn’t be alive today” (https://myhero.com/flight93_mms). The passengers of Flight 93 gave our country the most valuable gift by giving their lives to save the countless lives of others. Their selflessness is still remembered today and continues to encourage acts of bravery in Americans who are being faced with terrorist acts today.
Passengers of Flight 93 understood their part in the greater good. They knew that their lives in that moment were not important. What was important was how they could help America fight back and save countless lives on the ground. “Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death” (General Omar Bradley). They were able to take action when faced with sheer terror . They were brave to decide together to fight back instead of just accepting their fate and doing nothing. “Let’s Roll” – Todd Beamer used to use this phrase in his family life to get his kids moving. This was last heard from Flight 93 before they took down the hijackers. This phrase is now known as the most infamous quote in American history that showed the bravery of the passengers on Flight 93 and the beginning of America’s fight against terrorism.
Heroes are your average, everyday people who unfortunately find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many passengers of Flight 93 weren’t even supposed to be on that flight that day. This flight was a make-up flight for overflow of previous flights that day. Anyone could have been on the plane that day, but it seems that these people were chosen for a special reason. They were brave, selfless, and courageous. That is what it took to save lives. They inspired an entire country to fight back. What is a hero? Does a hero have to fly or jump over buildings to save lives? Or is a hero an everyday person like you or me who when faced with an extraordinary situation commits an extraordinary action. The passengers of Flight 93 inspired a nation to unite against violent acts of terrorism and to fight for our freedom. To this day, America continues to fight for peace and freedom. “Let’s Roll” will forever be a message of character, courage, and undeniable faith in the face of horrible tragedy.
