Officer's Message

Moment of Silence and Remembrance

Dear Flying Partner,

On Tuesday, September 11, the events of 11 years ago and our crewmember Heroes will be prominent in the hearts and minds of Flight Attendants. AFA is calling for a moment of silence and quiet reflection at 8:46 AM Eastern Time on Tuesday, September 11th.

During this moment of silence, we will remember the courageous actions of Flight Attendants. They were first responders in a war we didn’t know we were fighting. Our Heroes relayed some of the first intelligence that alerted our country and fellow crewmembers on flight 93 who in turn acted without reservation against evil, sacrificing their own lives to protect the lives of countless others.

We are proud to announce that the National 9-11 Museum, slated to open later this year, will feature an artifact that pays tribute to our Heroes and is a reflection of the way we care for each other as a family. United Airlines Flight Attendants Andrea Jones, Patrice Richardson, and Jennifer Workman Golden, all based in Boston in September of 2001, envisioned a special tribute to their flying partners, Pilots and Customer Service Representatives who were aboard flight 175. They decided to honor their colleagues by sewing quilts from the uniforms worn by those who were aboard the flight.

Andrea, Jennifer and Patrice spread word of the quilts to front-line workers throughout United Airlines. Flight Attendants and other United employees throughout the system took part in collecting hundreds of retired uniforms. Though largely new to the art of quilting, they designed the quilts themselves and worked together with the assistance of dozens of other Flight Attendants to cut and sew the pieces of fabric.

Once the quilts were complete they formally presented the families with a quilt created in memory of their loved one. One additional quilt was made in honor of the Flight Attendants, Pilots and Customer Service Representatives collectively, featuring a cross-stitching of our Heroes' names in the quilt center. This quilt was made to be displayed in the Boston base as a comfort for all who grieved the loss of our friends.

In October 2007, the quilt was donated to the museum for safekeeping and for the world to always remember the crewmembers of flight 175. This message includes pictures from the day the quilt was donated to the museum and the careful time the Museum Curator and Senior Oral Historian took to hear the story of the quilt and the memories of our flying partners. Andrea, Patrice and Jennifer told the story of the hundreds of hours of loving work that went into the creation of the quilts. As a feature of the September 11th Memorial museum, the world for generations to come will be able to see the bond among Flight Attendants and aviation workers. We are a unique family and we will always remember our Heroes and take care of each other.

Whether you choose to fly on this anniversary or to recognize the day in some other way, know that you are part of a Flight Attendant family, and that through our unity, we are strong, resourceful and resilient. How you choose to recognize September 11th is personal: there is no right or wrong way.

AFA’s on-line memorial, Never Forget, honors all of the 35 crewmembers and agents who were among the first to alert the world to danger and boldly fought back on September 11, 2001. Never Forget includes a listing of memorial events and services around the country, and features a page where you can share your thoughts and memories.

We will always remember our Heroes.

United Flight 175
Flight Attendant: Robert J. Fangman
Flight Attendant: Amy N. Jarret
Flight Attendant: Amy R. King
Flight Attendant: Kathryn LaBorie
Flight Attendant: Alfred G. Marchand
Flight Attendant: Michael C. Tarrou
Flight Attendant: Alicia N. Titus
Captain: Victor Saracini
First Officer: Michael Horrocks
Customer Service Representative: Marianne MacFarlane
Customer Service Representative: Jesus Sanchez

United Flight 93
Flight Attendant: Lorraine G. Bay
Flight Attendant: Sandra Bradshaw
Flight Attendant: Wanda A. Green
Flight Attendant: CeeCee Lyles
Flight Attendant: Deborah Welsh
Captain: Jason Dahl
First Officer: Leroy Homer

American Flight 11
Flight Attendant: Barbara Arestegui
Flight Attendant: Jeffrey Collman
Flight Attendant: Sara Low
Flight Attendant: Karen Martin
Flight Attendant: Kathleen Nicosia
Flight Attendant: Betty Ong
Flight Attendant: Jean Roger
Flight Attendant: Madeline Sweeney
Flight Attendant: Dianne Snyder
Captain: John Ogonowski
First Officer: Thomas McGuinness

American Flight 77
Flight Attendant: Michele Heidenberger
Flight Attendant: Jennifer Lewis
Flight Attendant: Kenneth Lewis
Flight Attendant: Renee May
Captain: Charles Burlingame
First Officer: David Charlebois

In Solidarity,

Veda, Sara & Kevin

Veda Shook, AFA International President
Sara Nelson, AFA International Vice President
Kevin Creighan, AFA International Secretary-Treasurer