After all the speeches were heard and all the somber ceremonies were conducted on Sept. 11, most of us got up the next day and went to work, school or drove our kids to soccer practice in our overloaded minivans.
After all the podiums were stored for another special speech, and after all the red white and blue banners were rolled up and packed away for the next patriotic ceremony, most of us had our morning cereal, looked through yesterday’s bills and junk mail but went on with our mundane, daily routines.
On Sept. 12, like most any other day, I like to walk in the coolness of the morning in a small yet inviting park in Cranbury. Most of the paths are leafy and shaded making the exercise time possible in almost any temperature.
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The same walkers, power joggers and elderly dog walkers nod at each other every day at almost the same times, a common group of strangers like ships passing at night. We see each other but do not stop to chat. Only the dog owners greet each other and let their pooches socialize with their new found canine neighbors.
So what’s the big deal about Sept. 12? On that Monday morning I took a few extra moments and stopped to slowly read the bronze tablet donated by the Cranbury Lions Club to honor those who lost their lives on United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Most folks in Cranbury know that one of our own, Todd Beamer, was on that flight and the plaque notes his oft repeated call to his fellow passengers to “Let’s Roll.”
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The inscription reads:
“Let’s Roll”
These are the memorable words spoken by Todd Beamer, a Cranbury resident, who was aboard United Flight 93 when it was hijacked by terrorists on September 11,2001 as he joined with his fellow passengers in a final act of resistance, sacrificing their lives to save countless others. A man described as ordinary to the world, extraordinary to his family, he shall be forever remembered for his uncommon act of bravery. This memorial celebrates the faith and heroism of Todd Beamer, husband, father, son, brother, friend and civilian-An American.
On Sept. 12, there were 2 fresh floral bouquets as well as a semicircle of six American flags surrounding the bronze monument to Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers. Beamer and the 40 passengers and crew on United 93 saved what could have been our nation’s capital and countless other lives.
It occurred to me that our country woke up on the day after other horrific, nightmarish days in our history. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on a Good Friday, April 14, 1865 but our nation - our very union of states - was ultimately saved. The Stock Market Crash of October 29, 1929, also known as Black Tuesday, led to 25 percent unemployment and a 12 year Great Depression that only seemed to end with the beginning of World War II. When Franklin Roosevelt told us that Dec. 7, 1941 would be a date that “lives in infamy,” millions of 18-year-olds enlisted to save our nation from dictators. They did not quit and were determined to resist the threats coming out of Europe.
But there is a positive side to all these terrible days. With Lincoln gone, our country began the long road to healing - a process that goes on to this day. With the stock market crash, our nation did not quit but over several generations developed one of the most stable and thriving middle class in the world.
In the 1960s, we became involved in a land war in Asia. Now a generation later, 30 something’s take vacations to Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam and visit ancient ruins in Cambodia.
The key point is this. Whatever happens to our people, whatever hurricane, tornado, flood, assassin's wild idea or economic downturn, Americans always spring back. Americans have resiliency, perseverance and “stick-to-itiveness.” We do not lie down, quit or roll over. What Todd Beamer did was forcefully say, “Let’s Roll.”
On Sept. 15, while mailing a few letters at the Cranbury Post Office, I spotted a small bouquet on the ground. Above the flowers was another small plaque on the wall dedicated to Todd Beamer:
This building is named in honor of
Todd Beamer
By Act of Congress
P.L. 107-129
January 16,2002
Americans do not quit. Americans also resist and stand up to injustice. They do, though, get up, go to work, drive their kids to soccer practice and know that a better day is coming. Like Todd Beamer, most of us are ordinary people who together can be called upon to do extraordinary things.
