Captain LeRoy Homer and the Martyrs of 9-11

Captain LeRoy Wilton Homer, Jr
US Air Force Reserve
"A gentle man and a gentleman. Gone too soon"

and the
Martyrs of the Attack on America
September 11, 2001

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for Captain Leroy Homer, all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of their country in the Attack on America. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen

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John xv. 12-13.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

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First Officer Leroy Homer was a Captain in the US Air Force Reserve, a combat veteran of Desert Storm, and a Christian. On September 11, 2001, he was at his civilian job, flying Co-Pilot of United Airline Flight 93. Captain Homer, like many Air Force Reserve officers, was continuing to serve his countrymen by providing safe air transportation.

In flight that morning, a group of Moslem Terrorist hijacked the plane and set its course toward Washington. They had a trained pilot in the terrorist cell who took over the controls. They sought to join their fellow cowards who had already completed their attacks that would take approximately 2,977 innocent lives and which destroyed the Twin Towers and a section of the Pentagon.

However, the brave men and women of Flight 93 learned of the terrorist's plan, and of the destruction that had already been accomplished that morning. Homer resisted, and the terrorists mortally wounded him and Captain Jeffery Dahl and killed another passenger. "The 9-11 Commission's official report states that pilot LeRoy Homer, flight attendants CeeCee Lyles and Sandra Bradshaw and passengers Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham, Tom Burnett, Andrew Garcia, Jeremy Glick, and Richard Guadagno, among others, fought back against the hijackers." We'll never fully know what happened that day on Flight 93, but the outcome of their valiant effort was that this plane, intended as a missile, was instead flown into the ground near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All 33 passengers, and the seven crew members were killed, but no doubt their courageous actions saved many more.

Meanwhile on the ground in New York and Washington, survivors courageously helped their fellows to escape the towering infernos, while uniformed police, rescue, and fireman battled against the attack to help save innocent citizens, many, many giving their lives in the process.

Captain Homer was a US Air Force Academy graduate. He was a churchman and a dedicated family man. "He loved his job. He loved his family," said Martin Hnatov, a friend. Homer was an Air Force reservist and a recruiter for the Air Force Academy.

"LeRoy, a Plainview, New York, native, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1987. A C-141 Starlifter pilot at McGuire Air Force Base in Trenton, New Jersey, he was an Air Force reservist who recruited students. LeRoy was also an active participant in the Mount Holly Seventh-day Adventist Church in New Jersey, where his wife, Melodie, attends.

"LeRoy and Melodie met through a mutual friend in August 1995, while Melodie was working at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Although LeRoy was living in New Jersey, a relationship ensued. After a long-distance romance that spanned several months, Melodie relocated to New Jersey. Within a few months the two were engaged, and they married a year later in 1998. While LeRoy was not a member of the Mount Holly Church, he faithfully attended services with Melodie and Laurel (their 1-year-old daughter). "He was very much a part of our church," recalls Melodie. She remembers LeRoy as being even-tempered and soft-spoken, yet not shy. "He had a way of putting people at ease and a good sense of humor. We were always on the go. LeRoy enjoyed picnics, walks in the park, and museums," she says. "We had lots of hopes and plans for Laurel. I will continue to honor his legacy by fulfilling his dreams for our daughter. I can't wait to see him again." (Columbia Union Visitor, December 2001)

Captain Homer stands as an example for us, in the Order of Centurions, and a symbol of all those on Flight 93, in New York, and in Washington, who were martyred that fateful day. Search for other martyrs here here. See more on Flight 93.

"At the memorial dedication, Army and Air Force ROTC cadets opened the ceremonies by raising a flag that had hung over Ground Zero; they later lowered it to half-staff in honor of the thousands who died in the attacks. Local police and firefighters laid wreaths at the site in memory of their counterparts who perished on Sept. 11. And undergraduate Sharif Wilson placed a wreath below the flag in honor of his uncle LeRoy Homer, a copilot on United Airlines Flight 93, which went down one year ago in a Pennsylvania field."
www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ breaking/2002/911_mem.html

Tributes

A gentle man and a gentleman. Gone too soon.
Nancy LaCasse, friend

To us you are a hero, and we wish you peace with the Lord in heaven. God bless you.
Don Leblanc and Marcelle Leblanc, friends of sister-in-law

I pray that I will live life as well as LeRoy has. What a very special person he is.
Tanja Brownle, family friend

Remember "We have this hope..." May the love of Jesus Christ be with your family at this time.
Amy French, fellow SDA church member

You fought and gave your all and you saved thousands. You are an American hero. May you rest in peace.
Mark Michelson

View and sign the Guest Book for LeRoy Homer

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Fear God and Do What is Right
Order of Centurions

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