They have become like family, those related to victims on the
United Flight 93 in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
They have become like family, those related to victims on the United Flight 93 in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
San Benito County’s Carol Heiderich and husband Bill would know. This week they will once again see others who lost family or friends in the terrorist attacks 10 years ago.
They are traveling to Pennsylvania to take part in one of the many memorial ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary.
Heiderich’s brother, Jason Dahl, was the pilot of the United Flight 93 that was hijacked and crashed after passengers tried to regain control of the airplane.
“The one thing,” Heiderich said, “we’ve met a lot of people, especially from Flight 93. It’s kind of like a family in itself now. We’ve gotten to know each other well.”
Before taking their trip, Heiderich reflected on the past 10 years and her brother’s family-oriented life. Dahl was a San Jose native who had lived with his wife and then 15-year-old son in Colorado at the time of his death. Dahl was the captain of the flight, on which all 40 passengers and crew aboard died.
It has been comforting for Heiderich to meet loved ones of other victims, at memorials and other events following the tragedy. One family that really “hit home” was that of Nicole Miller, a 21-year-old West Valley College student on the flight.
“She was the young girl that lived in San Jose, more or less the same age as my kids,” she said. “That kind of hit home. We’ve gotten to know them. It turns out her mom and Jason actually graduated from the same high school.”
It is a fitting path, considering Dahl’s love for family. Heiderich reflected how he especially cared about his son Matt.
Dahl was teaching him how to fly and was active with his Little League team. He once rearranged his schedule so he could be the pilot for his son’s field trip to Washington, D.C.
“His son was like the most important thing in his life,” she said.
Heiderich has learned from her brother’s generous nature. And from the Sept. 11 attacks, she has learned people can’t take life for granted.
“It is something we all need to remember,” she said.
“We can’t forget what took place that day. America was under attack. We need to remember that and learn from that.”
