Let's Roll - By Neil Young 2001

I know I said I love you
I know you know it's true
I've got to put the phone down
And do what we got to do
One's standing in the aisleway
Two more at the door
We've got to get inside there
Before they kill

Time is running out, let's roll

No time for indecision
We've got to make a move
I hope that we're forgiven
For what we got to
How this all got started
I'll never understand
I hope someone can fly this thing
And get us back to land

Time is running out, let's roll

No one has the answer
But one thing is true
You've got to turn on evil
When it's coming after you
You've got to face it down
And when it tries to hide
You've got to go in after it
And never be denied
Time is running out, let's roll

Let's roll for freedom
Let's roll for love
We're going after Satan
On the wings of a dove
Let's roll for justice
Let's roll for truth
Let's not let our children
Grow up fearful in their youth

Time is running out, let's roll

20 years ago tomorrow is the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

Four commercial passenger jetliners were commandeered by terrorists to be crashed into prime targets. Three succeeded with their deadly mission. The one that was aborted was Flight 93. It was diverted from its target in Washington DC to an empty field Shanksville Pennsylvania.

Those brave passengers decided amongst themselves to fight back after connecting with their loved ones via cell phones and learning of their fate. Todd Beamer's last words of Let's Roll became their rally cry.

A member of this rebellion was none other than Collegiate Judo Champ, Jeremy Glick. He was on a business trip taking to his wife Lyz who was home with their newborn daughter, Emerson. Glick was a student of Ogasawara Sensei and well trained to step into action. After saying goodbye to his wife he help lead the effort putting his judo skills to good use.

Their heroic final act Is the primary reason today we can fly with some assurance other terrorists were given a message that day; that the usefulness of this tactic had already expired.

When I visited the Shanksville memorial which is only a few hours away from my hometown of Pittsburgh, it was still and it was still rough from back in 2007. The formal national memorial was still some years away from being completed. It was after this initial stop to pay tribute to these brave passengers that I conceive of the idea seeing to it that Jeremy Glick got promoted to the 10th degree black belt, our highest rank.

The details of the presentation we're covered by several newspapers and carried on national TV. It was good to see the belt I got to tie on Emerson, Jeremy's daughter was on permanent display in the national memorial when I visited there in 2013.

Jeremy was a Jewish kid who did judo growing up had a nice family, a successful career in sales, a wife and daughter plus loved pugs! I wondered to myself if faced with the same situation would I have been able to do the same thing? This is a good question for all judoka to ponder as we fulfill the mission of Jigoro Kano to build a better society for the mutual welfare and benefit of all.

Thank you Jeremy Glick and all the brave passengers who lost their lives that fateful day. Please take a moment of silence and think about them tomorrow.

Key Links 

Lyz Best's book Your Fathers Voice, to her daughter

Jeremy Glick Inducted into Jewish Hall of Fame June 2, 2019

Rochester Business Journal Editorial on Jeremy Glick June 3, 2019

Jeremy Glick's Final Call, The Sun - May 13, 2019

Read More About Jeremy Glick

From the 2008 presentation

From the permanent memorial

I'm always looking for new subjects to write about regarding judo as well as contributions from my readers. Please send them to gary@garygoltz.com, thanks.