I climbed out of the van and looked over the area. A pool of water, the remnant of a strip mining operation broke the grass-covered expanse that was devoid of any trees. To one side there were a couple of rusting drag-line shovels. The grass stretched hundreds of yards in every direction. At least 300 yards from where I stood was a large American flag.

And then it hit me. Forty-five people came together here in death just months before. Four of them were bent on destruction. The others were just there. Forty-five lives ended here on this field. Most of the forty one passengers on the plane had never met anyone else on that plane before September 11, 2001. The fate of the Capitol, the White House or whatever and many lives rested on these people rising the occasion and becoming a team.

Bull Halsey said, “There are no great men, only great situations that ordinary men (and women) rise to meet.” Based on cell phone calls from the plane, the Flight Crew were at that time either dead or disabled. The office of commander of the aircraft was empty. The other member of the crew, the one upon whom the mantle would fall was also dead or dying. For a moment the mantle of leadership fell to the ground. Who took up the mantle of leadership? Who picked it up?  Who dusted it off?  Who took it like Elisha took up Elijah’s mantel?  Was it a passenger or a cabin-crew member? Was it a tough man in the group or some petite woman? Was it a youngster or one of the older ones on the plane?  We will probably never know but we know this, someone took up the mantle and in doing so lit the fuse of greatness.  Once lit and the fire spread through those on the plane.

One thing we know now, the hyjacker piloting the plane tried some vicious manuvres to help fight them off and these may well have caused the plane to crash without carrying out its mission.

I don’t care who it was but we know someone did take that lead and others followed that lead. Who knows, it may have changed hands several times and most likely did in the last seconds when they were breaching the door to the cockpit because quite possibly one or more were killed or disabled.. Those who followed that leader on Flight 93 that morning also stand tall with the finest heroes in American History. We know they prayed. One of the husbands heard the Twenty Third Psalm in the background of a call. The phrase “let’s roll” became popular as the battle cry of Flight 93 but the spark of greatness was lit before that utterance. The die was cast as they realized that only they could stand in the gap. The prophet of old said he looked for one to stand in the gap and found none.  On flight 93 there were those who stood in the gap and filled it.  The two words, “Let’s Roll”  were just the bugle sounding the charge. 

Other Articles by Ralph Brandt

• The Day Kennedy Died
• Women In War
• The Ribbon
• Maple – fall Red

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• President Obama, a Victim of The Right
• Obama – Misuse of Presidential Power
• King Bo and Queen Mo
• Obama and The Supreme Court
• Manure Spreader
• Taking A Stand Takes Courage – Even In The Church
• God Is Doing A New Thing?