Every day, I drive under, by, or over this bridge. Hundreds of thousands of people do the same.
I wonder how many of them are aware of the fact that this bridge, this overpass of Fostoria Way over I-680 in San Ramon, California, is also a monument to a national hero?
Ten years ago, September 11, 2001, a group of evil, filthy savages took control of four commercial airliners by cutting the throats of the unarmed crews, for the purpose of murdering further thousands of innocent human beings by means of turning the aircraft into exploding missiles. One of those airliners was United Airlines Flight 93.
The passengers of Flight 93 learned via phone of the earlier plane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Not willing to wait for their now obvious fate like sheep to the slaughter, the passengers of Flight 93 organized themselves to counter attack those low-lifes and take back control of the airplane, and hopefully save themselves, as well as the lives of hundreds or thousands on the ground below.
These heroes did indeed manage to thwart the maniacal plot of the hijackers and save an unknowable number of people on the ground, but not without giving up their own lives. Although they prevented their plane from being used against a target in Washington DC, they could not avoid the plane and themselves being nearly vaporized on a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
One of those heroes was Thomas E Burnett of San Ramon, California. He left behind a wife and kids, a legacy of heroism, selflessness, and glory, and a nation's debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. It is after him that that little bridge over I-680 is named.
"Let's roll!" - Todd Beamer, hero of Flight 93
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
I wonder how many of them are aware of the fact that this bridge, this overpass of Fostoria Way over I-680 in San Ramon, California, is also a monument to a national hero?
Ten years ago, September 11, 2001, a group of evil, filthy savages took control of four commercial airliners by cutting the throats of the unarmed crews, for the purpose of murdering further thousands of innocent human beings by means of turning the aircraft into exploding missiles. One of those airliners was United Airlines Flight 93.
The passengers of Flight 93 learned via phone of the earlier plane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Not willing to wait for their now obvious fate like sheep to the slaughter, the passengers of Flight 93 organized themselves to counter attack those low-lifes and take back control of the airplane, and hopefully save themselves, as well as the lives of hundreds or thousands on the ground below.
These heroes did indeed manage to thwart the maniacal plot of the hijackers and save an unknowable number of people on the ground, but not without giving up their own lives. Although they prevented their plane from being used against a target in Washington DC, they could not avoid the plane and themselves being nearly vaporized on a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
One of those heroes was Thomas E Burnett of San Ramon, California. He left behind a wife and kids, a legacy of heroism, selflessness, and glory, and a nation's debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. It is after him that that little bridge over I-680 is named.
"Let's roll!" - Todd Beamer, hero of Flight 93
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
Thanks for the reminder on Mr. Burnett. He is a hero.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robert.
ReplyDelete