Lions to erect Beamer tribute
By: Casha Caponegro
Todd M. Beamer may have been a resident of Cranbury for only the past year, but his actions on Sept. 11 may have made him a hero that won’t soon be forgotten by residents.
And the township plans to give this hero the credit and honor he is due.
The Cranbury Lions Club already has announced its plan to erect a memorial to Mr. Beamer at Memorial Park on Main Street. In addition, a memorial foundation has been established by the Beamer family, in conjunction with the Princeton Alliance Church.
An account manager for Oracle Inc., Mr. Beamer was traveling on United Airlines Flight 93 to meet with clients and other executives at the Oracle headquarters in Redwood Shores, Calif., when his flight was hijacked by a group of men armed with box cutters and a bomb tied around one of their midsections.
At 9:45 a.m., Mr. Beamer talked to GTE supervisor Lisa D. Jefferson and explained the circumstances aboard the aircraft.
According to Ms. Jefferson, Mr. Beamer and some of the other passengers planned to "jump on" one of the terrorists and prevent them from reaching their intended target.
After reciting the Lord’s Prayer with Ms. Jefferson, making her promise to contact his family, Mr. Beamer dropped the phone and the last thing Ms. Jefferson heard before the line went silent was Mr. Beamer’s words, "Are you ready guys? Let’s roll!"
United Airlines Flight 93 crashed at 9:58 a.m. about 80 miles outside of Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mr. Beamer left behind two sons, David, age 3 and Andrew, who is 1 year old. His widow, Lisa Beamer, is expecting her third child in January.
Without the heroic actions of Mr. Beamer and the other passengers, government officials believe that the plane would have crashed into either the White House or the Capitol, possibly killing thousands of people in the process.
Two planes hijacked on the same morning crashed into the World Trade Center, reducing its prominent Twin Towers to a pile of rubble. Another plane demolished a portion of the Pentagon.
About 7,000 people are believed to have died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. That number could have been higher had it not been for the passengers aboard Flight 93.
The Cranbury Lions Club announced on Sept. 17 that a memorial will be created in honor of Mr. Beamer, which will be displayed in Memorial Park.
"Nobody is entirely certain what exactly will be done," said Lions member, Bob Virgadamo. "The board of directors voted we should and would do something."
Memorial Park currently honors veterans from World War I, World War II, and the Korean and the Vietnam wars.
"Everyone is concerned that this is just the beginning of this catastrophe," said Mr. Virgadamo, worried that Mr. Beamer might not be the only heroic casualty to emerge out the attacks and the impending war that is looming on the horizon.
The Lions Club is researching the guidelines and procedures necessary before it can create the memorial. At its board meeting Oct. 2, it plans to discuss the project further.
A devout member of the Princeton Alliance Church, Ms. Beamer has set up a memorial foundation in her husband’s honor.
"My desire is that this foundation honor Todd’s memory and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ by bringing love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to charitable organizations and causes," said Ms. Beamer on the foundation’s Web site, www.beamerfoundation.org. "The Foundation will focus initially on areas that were passions for Todd assisting youth, promoting Christian athletics, supporting the concept of family and providing support for families of fellow victims of the Sept. 11 attacks."
Anyone wishing to send contributions to the foundation can send them to:
The Todd M. Beamer Memorial Foundation, Inc., PO Box 32, Cranbury, N.J. 08512, or donate online at the foundation’s Web site. Any questions concerning donations can be directed to Princeton Alliance Treasurer William M. Beatty, CPA, at [email protected].