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From MSNBC
"Last week, we lost a true heroine. Im not talking about a movie star, or a rock star, or a sports star. Im talking about a woman youve probably never heard of, but who was one of the first people to stand up to terrorism face to face.
Her name was Uli Derickson, and on June 14, 1985, she was a flight attendant aboard a TWA flight from Athens to Rome when it was hijacked by Lebanese terrorists. Of the 152 terrified passengers and crew, it was Ms. Derickson who took courageous control. The two hijackers spoke no English, but Ms. Derickson spoke to them in German, even calming them by singing a German ballad they requested. When they threatened one passenger, she intervened by explaining that his daughter had been delivered by a Lebanese doctor. She also put herself in harms way, commanding the terrorists, Dont you hit that person!
When a ground crew in Algiers refused to refuel the plane without payment, she offered her Shell credit card and paid the $5,000 fuel bill herself.
At one point, the terrorists asked her to go through the passengers passports and single out those with Jewish-sounding names. She hid the passports instead.
After about 36 hours, she and several other hostages were released and 13 days later, the entire ordeal was over, with one death, a Navy diver.
She became the first woman to receive the Silver Cross for Valor and remained a flight attendant for years afterward.
She died last week at the age of 60. But her spirit lives on in everyonemilitary and civiliannow fighting the war on terror. Her spirit was seen in those who fought back against the hijackers of September 11: the will to stand up to evil; to hold up your hand and say, Stop!; the courage to protect life against those who would take it.
Where does courage like that come from? It comes from character. Uli Derickson showed us that you dont have to have superhuman strength or great wealth or fame to do the right thing. You just have to have the courage of your convictions. One woman stood alone against terror and won. That was the epitome of heroism."
E-mail MCrowley@MSNBC
Be well and safe.
"Last week, we lost a true heroine. Im not talking about a movie star, or a rock star, or a sports star. Im talking about a woman youve probably never heard of, but who was one of the first people to stand up to terrorism face to face.
Her name was Uli Derickson, and on June 14, 1985, she was a flight attendant aboard a TWA flight from Athens to Rome when it was hijacked by Lebanese terrorists. Of the 152 terrified passengers and crew, it was Ms. Derickson who took courageous control. The two hijackers spoke no English, but Ms. Derickson spoke to them in German, even calming them by singing a German ballad they requested. When they threatened one passenger, she intervened by explaining that his daughter had been delivered by a Lebanese doctor. She also put herself in harms way, commanding the terrorists, Dont you hit that person!
When a ground crew in Algiers refused to refuel the plane without payment, she offered her Shell credit card and paid the $5,000 fuel bill herself.
At one point, the terrorists asked her to go through the passengers passports and single out those with Jewish-sounding names. She hid the passports instead.
After about 36 hours, she and several other hostages were released and 13 days later, the entire ordeal was over, with one death, a Navy diver.
She became the first woman to receive the Silver Cross for Valor and remained a flight attendant for years afterward.
She died last week at the age of 60. But her spirit lives on in everyonemilitary and civiliannow fighting the war on terror. Her spirit was seen in those who fought back against the hijackers of September 11: the will to stand up to evil; to hold up your hand and say, Stop!; the courage to protect life against those who would take it.
Where does courage like that come from? It comes from character. Uli Derickson showed us that you dont have to have superhuman strength or great wealth or fame to do the right thing. You just have to have the courage of your convictions. One woman stood alone against terror and won. That was the epitome of heroism."
E-mail MCrowley@MSNBC
Be well and safe.
