Book 54, 2015

[chez_jae]

In honor of September 11, I finally read Among the Heroes by Jere Longman. After the events of September 11, 2001, I obsessively bought books that dealt with the terrorist attacks, but I could never bring myself to read them. Reading this was not an easy endeavor. I still have too many emotions attached to that day, even though I suffered no personal loss. Normally, I read for entertainment, rather than education, but I decided that this year, I would take the plunge to read one of these reminders.

This book was devoted to the recounting of Flight 93, which was the jet that crashed in rural Pennsylvania after the passengers fought the hijackers for control. Most of the book told of the passengers aboard Flight 93, giving us a glimpse into their lives and what shaped them and what would have motivated them to step up instead of passively accepting their fate. I had heard of some of the main "players", of course; all of us did. Passengers like Mark Bingham and Todd Beamer. I appreciated the chance to get to know all of the passengers. I found it especially interesting to read how each of them came to be on that particular flight. Some jumped at the chance to take an earlier flight, while others had opportunities to fly the day before or the day after, and for whatever reason, chose that day and that flight.

Reading their stories, it's not difficult to believe that some higher force guided them. I don't mean that in that any of them deserved to die, but in that all of them seemed to be exceptional people who wouldn't back down from a challenge. Pictures of the passengers were provided, and I found myself flipping to each photo while reading about that passenger. I was glad to put faces to the names.

Very little of the book covered the actual crash, and I am grateful for that, too. No one will ever know what the hijackers' ultimate target was, but it's for certain that the passengers of Flight 93 saved many more lives by sacrificing their own. One fighter pilot, who had been scrambled to fly in a defensive pattern over Washington, DC, said it best: "...the passengers stepped up and did what they had to do to put their destiny in their hands."

The author wrote the book with compassion and dedication, relying on interviews with family, friends and co-workers to tell the passengers' stories. This was a gut-wrenching read, and in no way was it entertaining. However, I became so engrossed in it that I stayed up past 2am reading it, and as a result, I dreamed about it off and on last night. I had to force myself to put it down, but I picked it up again and finished it today.

Five out of five:

♦♦♦♦♦

Comments

[aliasfanatic04.livejournal.com]

The movie United 93 always makes me super emotional. That day I remember waking up to hear my mom gasping say oh my god oh my god. And me saying what to look at the tv and seeing the first tower engulfed. Then the horrifying scene as the second plane hit the second tower. I was in shock. I was still in high school when it happened and that day was all about watching the news. Seeing teachers and students worried about loved ones in New York. Then hearing about the other planes. I was so nervous when it came to light that all of these planes were bound to California. The quiet stillness of the sky with all the planes grounded. Was so eerie. That day didn't directly impact my life per say but it definitely changed the way I felt about our security.

[chez-jae.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. I've never seen the film, but I find myself engrossed in 9/11 programs whenever they air. I usually end up blubbering like an idiot, too.

:/