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WASHINGTON-Aircraft
nose art with the words "Let's
roll!" -- America's two-word marching order in the fight against
terrorism will be displayed on various aircraft throughout the Air Force
as a way of recognizing the heroes and victims of the Sept. 11 attacks
on the United States. The words were made famous by Todd Beamer,
a passenger on Flight 93. Beamer, a 32-year-old businessman, Sunday
school teacher, husband, father and hero, led other passengers in fighting
terrorists for control of Flight 93 before it crashed into a field in
western Pennsylvania. He was overheard on a cellular phone reciting the
Lord's Prayer and saying "Let's roll!" as passengers charged
the terrorists. "'Let's roll!' has served as a rallying cry
for this nation as we go forward in our war on terrorism," said Air
Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "We are proud to display
this new nose art on our aircraft." The passengers of Flight
93 won one of the first victories in the fight against terrorism. There
has been much speculation about the terrorists' intentions for Flight
93, but it is widely believed that either the White House or the U.S.
Capitol building was the intended target. The nose art design
depicts an eagle soaring in front of the U.S. flag, with the words "Spirit
of 9-11" on the top and "Let's roll!" on the bottom. The
design was created by Senior Airman Duane White, a journeyman from Air
Combat Command's multimedia center at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
The Thunderbirds and other Air Force demonstration teams will apply this
nose art on all aircraft, while major commands and wings will be authorized
to apply the nose art to one aircraft of their choice. For
thousands of years, warriors, such as the vikings, Zulus, Native Americans,
samurai and many others, have followed a tradition of decorating their
instruments of war. These instruments could include the warriors or their
weapons. The Air Force has used nose art throughout much of its history,
and for a variety of reasons. The "Let's roll!"
nose art is being used to continue the remembrance of the events of Sept.
11, spur on the nation's current patriotic spirit and pay tribute to the
heroes and victims in the war against terrorism. It is anticipated
that the art will start to appear on Air Force aircraft around Jan. 15.
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