The Heroes of Flight 93 Poem is about the hijacking of United Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001, by four al-Qaeda terrorists. Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, PA during an attempt of many brave passengers to regain control of the plane. These brave passengers potentially saved many lives.
© Rudolph 2009
Heroes of Flight 93
United Flight 93 took off from Newark
on a routine flight.
Nobody imagined that soon
they would all have to fight.
With four terrorists aboard
9/11 would be a tragic day.
Our country gained heroes,
but with their lives they had to pay.
Osama Bin Laden
the leader and the brains
of Al-Qaeda terrorists
would attack with four planes.
Although planes in the US
they certainly did lack
Their scheme was to take them
by means of hijack.
The terrorists struck
with three muscle freaks
and one trained pilot.
Oh, the havoc they would wreak.
The attendants and pilots
were forced to submit.
Soon the terrorists had taken
control of the cockpit.
Passengers cell phoned loved ones
of news filled with gloom.
For they were fearful
the flight would end in doom.
By now the other targets
had already been struck.
It was all too clear
that Flight 93 was out of luck.
Their friends and family
told them about their position.
The plane was on
a mad suicide mission.
Either way they were
all going to die.
What should they do?
Just let it happen standing by?
They decided to vote
practicing their last act of democracy.
Should they rush the cockpit?
For they knew the target was in D.C.
They all decided
to stage a daring attack
in a last-ditch effort
to gain control back.
They rushed quickly and fierce
with strong men in the lead.
They fought heroically.
Oh, how profusely they did bleed.
They had no weapons
and fought only with their hands
Against great odds
they were fighting for their land.
The pilot Jarrah
steered the plane forth and back.
in a last-ditch effort
to thwart their attack.
But too many had fought their
way to the front.
Then the cockpit was breached
and they quickly put an end to this evil stunt.
For the might of right
is a force that can’t be stopped.
They forced the plane down fast.
At a 40-degree angle it dropped.
In Stonycreek Township, PA it exploded
and all had been slain.
In a crater, smoke, and mushroom cloud
these heroes did not die in vain.
They saved many other people
from certain death,
and so, the bravest of souls
breathed in their last breaths.
For in the land of the brave
you will come to see.
that America is blessed
but freedom isn’t free.
For those passengers
their sacrifice was real.
They paid with their lives for us,
and we honor them with a cross of steel.
Mounted upon a pentagon shape
at a Shanksville, PA, department of fire.
Made from World Trade Center steel,
for us it will forever inspire.
By – Christopher Rudolph