The heartbreaking message a man on hijacked United Airlines Flight 75 left his wife on 9/11 will leave you sobbing
THE heartbreaking message a passenger on the doomed United Airlines Flight 75 left his wife on 9/11 has gone viral.
Brian David Sweeney, a 38-year-old former US Navy pilot from Massachusetts, phoned his partner Julie three-and-a-half minutes before the hijacked plane struck the World Trade Centre’s south tower.
A manuscript of the answer phone recording has now been shared on by Professor Frank McDonough.
It reads: “Hey Jules, this is Brian. Ah, listen… I’m on an airplane that has been hijacked… if things don’t go well, and they’re not looking good, I want you to know that I absolutely love you.
“I want you to do good, have good times, same with my parents.
“I’ll see you when you get here. I want you to know that I totally love you.
“Bye, babe, I hope I will call you.”
The tweet has been liked more than 6,500 times and retweeted by nearly 4,000 social media users.
“This is tough stuff to read. Totally breaks your heart. The agony of knowing there’s so much love to give and life to live but no more time,” commented one user.
“I would hope I could be even half as articulate and composed in such a horrific situation. His words will inspire millions for a long time,” wrote another.
It was called “heartbreaking”, “devastating to hear” and had Twitter users "sobbing”.
“You can’t imagine having to do that phone call… knowing the outcome… saying bye,” commented one social media contributor.
Another said: “Damn, if that doesn’t give you chills, you better check to see if you have a heartbeat.”
The message is on display at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
Brian went on to call his mum Louise, but she said the details are too personal for her to discuss publicly.
Julie told in 2004 she thinks the main reason Brian made the calls was to "let us know where he was, what was happening, and to give us his final love and wishes for our lives, because he knew he was on a doomed flight”.
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Brian flight, from Boston, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California, crashed about 15 minutes after hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 11, with 87 passengers and crew, into the trade centre's north tower.
Brian, who flew an F-14 in the Persian Gulf War and was a US Navy flight instructor for the Navy in Miramar, California, was working for a Defence Department contractor, Brandes Associates before his death.
Meanwhile, a Brit photographer’s harrowing 9/11 photos capture the terrifying aftermath of the attack as dust-covered victims drag themselves from Twin Tower wreckage 16 years ago today.