Tom Burnett

A hero to me isn’t someone who runs around in capes and colorful underwear. A hero is someone who’ll do anything for someone whether they know him or her or not. They may even go as far as to risk their life for this person. They serve their country with honor and pride in so many ways and touch lives forever, whether it is two people or 2 million people. My hero is someone who served his country whether it was in the US Air Force, or overthrowing hijackers on a plane to save our nation’s capitol. This man risked it all for a country he loves and touched so many lives on that horrible day of 9/11. This phenomenal man was Tom Burnett.

Thomas E. Burnett Jr. was born May 29, 1963 in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was raised there too. He was the VP and COO of Thoratec Corporation. He had three children with his Wife Deena Burnett and one child from a college girlfriend which they gave up for adoption. He was on his way home from a business trip on September 11, 2001 when his life was changed forever.

Tom Burnett found out that the World Trade Center had been hit and soon after that they found out hijackers had taken over their own plane. The hijackers stabbed a man and Tom tried to save the man but never found a pulse. He was the first to call his wife and told her to call 911. Then, he and three of his fellow flight mates decided to make a plan to overthrow the hijackers as soon as the plane turned around and started going a path that would take them to Washington DC. He had called his wife four times throughout the whole ordeal. The last call he told her, “I know we’re gonna die. There’s three of us that are going to do something.” Those were his last words to Deena. They overtook the plane and it crashed to the ground 150 miles from Washington DC. All passengers on board, including the hijackers and Tom, were killed. Tom was 38 years old.

Tom risked his life to help his country and he did it willingly and readily. When his wife told him to not cause any attention to himself he told her that he needed to do something. He saved many people that day. This inspires me because someone, even in the face of death, was willing to risk it all. He inspired many people that an ordinary businessman would do an extraordinary thing. Most people in his situation would be freaked out and too scared to do anything but Tom was brave. He did an amazing thing and will be forever remembered in our hearts as a hero.

Tom was a hero. Nobody can ever doubt that. He risked his life for people he barely knew and he did the right thing when others were too scared to do anything. His legacy will live on forever as the man who risked it all for his country. He also teaches us all a lesson that heroes can be anybody, from the woman in rags across the street, to the man sitting next to you on a train. Tom Burnett is the face of a hero and will always be remembered as one on that horrible day.