Posted on 07/10/2006 9:41:05 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
The widow of Tom Burnett, who helped lead the passenger revolt on hijacked Flight 93, says in a new book that he had struggled to figure out what he believed was a message from God that might have presaged the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Deena Burnett wrote that a year before the attacks, her husband, who rarely spoke openly about his faith, told her he'd been attending Mass daily to try to understand a message from God that had "something to do with the White House."
He told her he hadn't figured it out, "but I know it will impact a great number of people," she wrote in her book, "Fighting Back: Living Life Beyond Ourselves."
She wrote that she had taken it as a good sign.
"God must have had a good chuckle that day," Burnett wrote, "because my response was, 'He wants you to run for president."'
Tom Burnett died in the crash of the United Airlines flight in rural Pennsylvania. The plane went down 20 minutes short of the hijackers' presumed target, either the U.S. Capitol or the White House.
In her book, Deena Burnett, of Little Rock, Ark., wrote about her four cell phone conversations with her husband during the hijacking, which culminated with her husband's assurance that he was "going to do something" to thwart the hijackers.
She also wrote that when she and other Flight 93 families were invited to the White House two weeks after the attacks, she asked President Bush for access to the plane's cockpit voice recording.
Burnett wrote that Bush replied: "I can see why you would want to. They sure were heroes on that flight."
When she and the rest of the Burnett family got to hear the tape in 2002, they heard intense fighting and the clatter of dishes outside the cockpit. Then they heard an American voice shouting: "In the cockpit. In the cockpit."
It was "clearly, unmistakably" Tom's voice, Burnett wrote.
She also disclosed that she got remarried last month, to Little Rock businessman Rodney Bailey. She said he would have wanted her to remarry so their three girls would have two parents.
She also said she has been approached about running for the U.S. House or for Arkansas lieutenant governor, but that she wasn't likely to attempt any run before her girls are grown.
She attributes her husband's strong character and deep Catholic faith to his upbringing in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, where his father was a high school English and literature teacher and his mother sold real estate.
He was a star quarterback at Jefferson High School, won admission to the Air Force Academy, later transferred to St. John's University in Collegeville, and, after a shoulder injury ended his football career, switched to the University of Minnesota. He attended graduate school at Pepperdine University before going to work for medical technology companies.
"Fighting Back" was co-written by Minneapolis public relations man Anthony Giombetti. It's published by Advantage Books, which specializes in inspirational, faith-based books.
Thanks for the ping, onyx and Petronski.
Sounds like an uplifting read.
Thanks for the Ping, I put it on my summer read list.
BTTT
How heartwarming to hear one of the widows can relive the day with positive memories.. God Bless her! Thanks for thread BTLD and the ping Kayak. Good read & I thought the movie, although somewhat difficult to watch was very good.
Got a ping list you can share this with?
I truly believe this will be BIG.
Thanks,
3
Happy to hear she remarried, and wish to her and all her families the best.
thanks, bump!
Thanks for your ping-ability!!
3
Thanks for the ping, kayak.
Mr. Burnett attended the same college as my husband and son, St. John's University.
I am intrigued by his becoming a daily Mass attendant before his death and how his faith may have helped him on that fatal flight.
I will read the book to find out more.
Chills ... she is an outstanding woman ..unwavering, radiating faith and righteous conviction. God bless her. I'm happy she's found smiles again. Thanks, O.
Very uplifting. I'm so glad she's remarried and been able to find some peace as well as a father to her children.
What an amazing story. Thanks for the ping, Karen.
911/Catholic ping
Thank you for the ping DC.
Thanks for the ping, Dolly.
My husband & I visited the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial in Oct. 2004. We were both moved to tears by the sacrifice of those brave passengers and crew who won the first battle in the War on Terror.
May they rest in peace. And may their families be comforted in the knowledge that they will forever have the love and gratitude of all Americans.
Ping to my Flight 93 list......
Thanks for the ping.
Sounds like it should be a really good read!
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