Let's roll

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Memorial inscription of "Let's Roll" in Westborough, Massachusetts, in memory of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks in 2001. 9-11 Memorial inscription (Let's Roll) - Westborough, Massachusetts - DSC04929.jpg
Memorial inscription of "Let's Roll" in Westborough, Massachusetts, in memory of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

"Let's roll" is a colloquialism that has been used extensively as a command to move and start an activity, attack, mission or project. They were the last recorded words of passenger Todd Beamer on board United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks in 2001, before he and other passengers attempted to storm the cockpit and retake the plane from the hijackers. The slogan subsequently became a battle cry for American forces during the war on terror.

Contents

Origins

In the American west, many wagon trains began their journeys with the shout "Wagons roll!" from the head of the train. A less formal terminology would soon develop from the historic precedent. The phrase, "let's roll" has been used as early as 1908 in the cadence song now called "The Army Goes Rolling Along", which likely extended into tank usage.

"The Roads Must Roll", a science fiction story written in 1940 by Robert A. Heinlein, mentions a re-worded version of "The Roll of the Caissons" called "Road Songs of the Transport Cadets". The protagonist of the 1937 supernatural comedy, Topper , played by Cary Grant, uses the phrase "Let's roll" to his wife, played by Constance Bennett, to indicate they should immediately exit their friend's stuffy office and find a drink. The protagonist of Ernest Hemingway's 1950 novel Across the River and into the Trees , Colonel Dick Cantwell, based on World War II commander Charles "Buck" Lanham, uses the phrase to his driver. The verb "roll" has been used in both the film and recording industry to signal the beginning of a film or audio recording.

September 11 attacks

Todd Beamer's name on Panel S-68 of the National September 11 Memorial's South Pool. Todd Beamer WTC.jpg
Todd Beamer's name on Panel S-68 of the National September 11 Memorial's South Pool.

On September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer, a passenger on the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, tried to place a call through an air phone, but he was routed to a customer service representative instead, who passed him on to supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer reported that one passenger had been killed and that a flight attendant had told him that both the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been injured. He was also on the phone when the plane made a quick and violent turn. Later, he told the operator that some of the other passengers were planning to attack the hijackers and regain control of the aircraft, after they learned about what happened at the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. According to Jefferson, Beamer's last audible words were "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll." [1]

In a November 8 address from the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, President George W. Bush invoked Beamer's words: "Some of our greatest moments have been acts of courage for which no one could have been prepared. But we have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, let's roll!" [2] He used them again in the 2002 State of the Union address: "For too long our culture has said, 'If it feels good, do it.' Now America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: 'Let's roll.'" [3]

Cultural impact

Music

Government

Sailors and Marines onboard USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) spelling out the quote "Let's Roll". US Navy 020906-N-1995M-001 USS Belleau Wood remembers Sept. 11, 2001 with special formation on flight deck.jpg
Sailors and Marines onboard USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) spelling out the quote "Let's Roll".
Pro-trade union protester during the 2011 Wisconsin protests holds a sign with the phrase WI IMG 6012 (5521951716) (1).jpg
Pro-trade union protester during the 2011 Wisconsin protests holds a sign with the phrase

Sports

Media

References

  1. McKinnon, Jim (September 16, 2001). "The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: 'Are you guys ready? Let's roll'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022.
  2. Evensen, Bruce J. (2000). "Beamer, Todd Morgan". American National Biography . Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  3. Bush, George W. "Selected Speeches of President George W. Bush 2001 – 2008" (PDF). The White House of George W. Bush . National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. Beamer, Lisa; Abraham, Ken (2002). Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage. Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN   0-8423-7418-3.
  5. Vecsey, George (August 20, 2002). "Sports of The Times; 'Let's Roll' Demeans Real Heroes". The New York Times . Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  6. Chan, Sue (September 11, 2002). "The Marketing Of 'Let's Roll'". CBS News . Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  7. "Collectors Corner: Top Special Paint Schemes Of 2002". Motor Racing Network . November 28, 2002. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  8. Roose, Bill. "Let's Roll Howard's mask pays tribute to 9/11 tragedy". redwings.nhl.com. Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved December 6, 2015.