The Work of Remembering

Widows of 9/11 Pilots Honor Their Legacies

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Shanksville, Pennsylvannia, pilot leaders from the United ALPA Master Executive Council sat down with the widows of Capt. Victor Saracini (United Flight 175) and F/O LeRoy Homer, Jr. (United Flight 93).

Ellen Saracini has spent decades advocating for stronger flight deck security, including secondary barriers. Melodie Homer continues to honor her husband’s legacy through the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation, which provides scholarships to aspiring aviation professionals. Together, they reflected on the people who were lost, the lasting impact of 9/11, and the responsibility of ensuring that such a tragedy never happens again.

Experience Versus History

“It isn’t September 11 that’s difficult,” Homer said. “Every day is hard for us.”

For today’s youngest United pilots, 9/11 is a historical event rather than a firsthand experience—some had not been born when the attacks occurred.

“We were experiencing real time, not history,” Saracini observed. “They’re experiencing history.” She hopes today’s pilots understand why some security procedures are practiced every day.

“There’s a reason why the flight deck door is different,” she remarked. “There’s a reason why there are boundaries and regulations that weren’t in effect 25 years ago.”

Saracini also believes remembering must be intentional. “When it becomes a symbol, you forget the actual work of remembering,” she said.

“ALPA is my family. ALPA was there from minute one.... People were at my door day one and never went away.”

Melodie Homer

Widow of F/O LeRoy W. Homer, Jr.

Community Builds Hope

Despite the unimaginable loss both women have endured, they reflected on hope and the aviation community that’s stood beside them.

“ALPA is my family,” Homer acknowledged. “ALPA was there from minute one.... People were at my door day one and never went away.”

“There’s been a continued response from pilots and flight attendants,” Saracini added. “We don’t feel alone.”

That support, Homer said, has allowed her to focus on honoring her husband’s legacy through scholarships for future aviators. “My hope is in the scholarship recipients,” she noted. “Several work at United now. They have the same passion LeRoy had. “The worst thing can happen to you, and you can choose to move forward and do something positive,” she said.

Future Generations Must Remember

Twenty-five years later, both women continue honoring their husbands by ensuring that future generations remember not only how they died, but how they lived.

That memory also lives through four organizations established in memory of the United pilots lost that day. The Captain Jason Dahl Scholarship Fund, the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation, the Michael Horrocks Memorial Foundation, and the Victor Saracini Garden of Reflection 9/11 memorial continue to invest in future aviators, support meaningful causes, and ensure their legacies endure for generations to come.

For more information on these organizations, including how to donate, visit Just a Buck.