By Caroline Housworth, Editor-in-Chief
Twenty-five years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy struck the United States when a series of terrorist attacks occurred that led to the deaths of almost 3,000 people. Three alumni from Wheaton College died during the attacks: Jason Oswald ’95, Jeffrey P. Mladenik MA ’95 and Todd Beamer ’91, who became a hero as he, along with a group of fellow passengers, attempted to gain control of one of the hijacked planes.
The attacks involved the hijacking of four planes, two of which crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. One crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and the plane that Beamer was on crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania.
President Philip Ryken remains close to Beamer’s wife, Lisa Beamer ’91, who serves on the board of trustees at Wheaton College. Ryken specifically expressed the importance of remembering Beamer’s act of boldness.
“Nothing will ever change the evil and absurdity of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, but we are witnesses of various ways that God has responded redemptively to that terrible day,” he said. “All School Communion is part of 9/11’s legacy on our campus, and so is the example of Todd Beamer, who became an ordinary hero when he was called to act with faithful boldness.”
Beamer was on United Airlines Flight 93, flying from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California. His quick work trip turned into a plan of action when the passengers realized the pilots had been attacked and learned about the terrorist attacks in New York through phone calls. Beamer tried to call his wife but could not reach her, so he contacted GTE Airfone operator Lisa Jefferson, who stayed on the phone with him for much of the remainder of the flight.
Beamer and a group of passengers decided to fight back and attempt to take control of the plane. Right before they headed to the cockpit, Jefferson heard Beamer say, “Let’s Roll” — a phrase now used as a call to action by student athletes and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets at Wheaton College.
Jake Vogel, a senior studying international relations and an ROTC cadet, spoke on what the phrase “Let’s Roll” means to him and the impact Beamer has had on him as someone who plans to serve his country in the military.
“I think what Todd Beamer exemplified, and what ROTC and the military teach in general, is putting the mission and people before yourself,” he said. “Romans 12 talks about offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, and that’s something Todd Beamer did. That’s something that I want to aspire to live into, and I hope that most Wheaton students would aspire to do as well.”
Professor of military science/ROTC Dan Dipzinski also spoke on the importance of Beamer’s legacy. He explained how his legacy inspires the next generation of leaders in the military.
“We’re raising the next generation of leaders, and they’ll go out to the Army and serve as officers and start their careers as lieutenants,” he said. “One of the things that we take away from Todd Beamer and his legacy is that we want to raise leaders that take action and do the things that need to be done.”
Long before the events of 9/11, Beamer was also just an ordinary Christian man. During his time as a student at Wheaton, he played both basketball and baseball. Athletics Director Mike Schauer played basketball with Beamer when Beamer was a junior and Schauer was a freshman.
“He was somebody I looked up to,” Schauer said. “He was somebody very early on that I had great respect for because he was fiercely competitive.”
He added that bravery and initiative are qualities that Wheaton hopes its student athletes demonstrate.
“The characteristics that Todd demonstrated in those moments are things we are trying to train our men and women in athletics to do,” Schauer said.
Beamer also played for the baseball team when he was at Wheaton. During his time as a player, he played in 92 games, mainly as a third baseman and shortstop, and he hit four home runs. Caleb Henderson, a senior studying psychology and a pitcher on the baseball team, said that his number, 23, is retired, and each year around September the team remembers the bravery he showed.
“A lot of what we play for on the field is a testament to the kind of people we want to be in life,” he said. “Todd Beamer was someone who laid down his life for others. We look up to him and try to serve our teammates in that way.”
The Todd M. Beamer Student Center on Wheaton’s campus was dedicated and opened in 2004. The bas-relief sculpture memorial of Beamer by the southern entrance depicts him with his two sons, David and Andrew, who were ages three and one when Beamer passed away.
This year, the chaplain’s office is planning to commemorate the 25th anniversary in chapel with a 9/11 prayer litany. In 2021, Wheaton held a remembrance ceremony for the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to honor the three alumni who died.
Oswald was working on the 101st floor of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building, while Mladenik was a passenger aboard Flight 11, which crashed into the North Tower.
History professor Tracy McKenzie spoke on why the deaths and the tragedy of 9/11 are so impactful. He explained that from a historical perspective, it was very formative and memorable for Americans.
“It was our Pearl Harbor moment or Kennedy’s assassination moment,” he said. “Those were moments where most Americans who were adults could say, ‘I remember when this happened. I know what I was doing, where I was, exactly what went through my mind.’ And for my generation, it was 9/11.”
The events of 9/11 resonate with many people, even with those who were not yet born when it occurred, such as Vogel. Vogel explained the importance for Christians to never forget and to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
“It’s important to never forget the sacrifice of those who died sacrificing their own lives to save others, or the sacrifice of the families that lost loved ones,” he said. “I have the privilege to live my life right now, and I’m going to live it to the best of my ability in honor of their lives, and never forget their sacrifice.”
