I was living at the base of Capitol Hill on 9/11. I often wonder if I was one of the lives saved by the heroic actions of those on Flight 93. Alice Hoagland remembers her gay heroic son, Mark Bingham, in this moving article and video:
Mark Bingham died Sept. 11, 2001, while saving countless lives. Just how many will never be known.I was getting ready for work when I saw the news feed of the second plane hitting the second tower. The first thing I did was call some friends, including Barney Frank's office, and tell them we were under attack and to get off Capitol Hill. I heard the sonic boom from a fighter jet, and I changed out of my business clothes, quickly packed a gym bag, and I went outside only to have the police who were driving down the sidewalks direct us to get back in our buildings, take cover and don't drink the water. The police had been tipped off to the possibility of Capitol Hill being a potential target, and that our water supply might have been poisoned. I made the decision to go back inside and take cover thinking if a jet was on its way I'd probably be better off in my building. With Union Station jammed with people, and the roads gridlocked, I figured I'd hike out of the city if things got any worse. Anyone, including me, who took cover on Capitol Hill could very well owe their very lives to the passengers, including gay hero Mark Bingham, on Flight 93.
The openly gay rugby player was one of the heroic passengers who led a revolt against the terrorists on United Airlines Flight 93. The hijackers planned to slam the plane into the White House or the U.S. Capitol, according to the 9/11 Commission Report. Instead, the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., killing the terrorists and passengers – but nobody else.
The most visible torchbearer of Bingham’s legacy is Alice Hoagland, his mother. After losing Bingham -- her only child -- Hoagland became a tireless advocate for issues that were important to her son. Now 61, the retired United flight attendant is a proponent of aviation safety, a spokesperson for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and an avid supporter of rugby.
John 15:13 says it best, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
