Donald F. Greene

Donald F. Greene

Donald Greene Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Sep. 13, 2001.
Among those on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers discussed attacking their hijackers, Donald Greene, 52, was himself a licensed pilot, his sister-in-law said. He also was CEO and first vice president of an aviation company called Safe-Flight in White Plains, N.Y.

"If anyone needed help, Don jumped right in," sister-in-law Cecilia Rhoda said. He was the same at home. He coached soccer teams for both of his children. His youngest is 6.

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September 26, 2024

Nathan hemberger posted to the memorial.

September 29, 2023

Alyvia Hughes posted to the memorial.

November 19, 2021

Del Newberry posted to the memorial.

Nathan hemberger

September 26, 2024

I do not know Donald personally, but having the experience of researching this incredible hero has been wonderful, Donald was a licensed Pilot and tried everything in his power to aid in the rescue of his fellow Americans. You will always be remembered for your courageous acts, Thank you don.

Alyvia Hughes

September 29, 2023

I'm so sorry that you experienced this horrible attack. I can tell by the obituary that you would fight for the lives of others. You are and always will be remembered as a hero. I wish such gruesome things never impacted the most genuine and selfless people. Rest in peace. We will never forget.

Del Newberry

November 19, 2021

It's so sad to look at the picture of this handsome young man and think of all the senseless losses on that horrible day. I pause today today to pray for Donald's family and ask that God grant them an extra measure of blessing as we approach the Thanksgiving season. We will never forget. Much love from Texas,

September 13, 2021

Thinking of you Donald.

Louis Schepp, ‘71

September 11, 2020

Being remembered today. RIP Don.

Louis Schepp, ‘71

September 11, 2020

Being remembered to day. RIP Don.

Trace O

August 29, 2019

Donald Greene is a man who lived life the way he died: with love and excellence. I am a sophomore in Fargo, ND, and I had the privilege of researching this hero for a class talking about 9/11. He worked as VC of the Safe Flight Instrument Corporation and still found time to coach his kids soccer teams. When his flight was hijacked, he called for help and did not hesitate to go the extra mile to save countless lives, an extra mile I find difficult to fathom trying. His sacrifice and bravery shows me that while he may just be another name on the memorial, he is much, much more to those who know his story.

June 23, 2019

Whats up Donald!
Thanks for your tremendous acts of valor on board United 93, in which passengers prevented an attack on Capitol Hill.

You gave your own life so a countless number of Congress members can live. I bet President G. W. Bush or John McCain were proud of your courage. John himself joined you in heaven last August.

Damian Airwyke

September 13, 2018

Dear Donald F. Greene,
In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always. I hope you are doing well. I would love to go on a biking trip with my family. I hope your family is doing well. We will always remember 9/11.

Kathy

September 11, 2018

Never Forgotten!

debbie

September 10, 2016

hi cousin Donnie you are never far from my mind

I know your family misses you as we all do

you are in my thoughts so often especially time of the year since I tell everyone about you

may you rest in peace

Ton

November 15, 2015

I cannot imagine how you can live further on with this event in mind. I wish you all
the best I can give you. Ton(Holland).

September 11, 2015

Thinking of you and your family.

debbie

September 11, 2015

hi Donnie cant believe you have been gone 14 years,, I still shake my head at this event and I brings me to tears a lot .. I know the entire family misses you, although my contact has been limited you are never far from my thoughts cousin.. I talk about you more than you could ever know

Del Newberry

June 19, 2015

My heart still grieves for the friends and families who lost loved ones on this horrible day. Today I pause to say a deep-felt prayer to all of you, I pray for you to feel comforted and encouraged, We will never forget. Much love from Texas

debbie

September 4, 2014

hi Donnie hard to believe its been 13 years since that horrible day.. I was so sad when they had your services before myself and my family could have come up to mourn with the family.. very sad for me still since I never got to be a part of the mourning process with my family miss you more than you could know I will always remember your trips to see me in Denver

Scott Chamberland

September 11, 2013

Rest in Peace

February 5, 2013

May Your Soul Rest in Peace Don...

January 28, 2013

To The Family,
I did not know Mr. Greene, but I am a person who empathizes with all families of the 9/11 victims. I would like to extend my deepest thoughts of sympathy in the passing of your loved one, Mr. Donald F. Greene.

Sincerely,
Mr. Terry of NC

Scott Chamberland

September 11, 2012

Rest in Peace

debbie

September 10, 2012

hi donnie. shocked its been 11 years tomorrow. i still dont have the words to express my sorry for you and the family and i think of you often and miss you and love you our family misses you

Frank Martin Jr.

June 4, 2012

Don,
I never got the chance to know you, but I wish I did. You are a hero.

Alfred T. Zlotopolski Jr.

April 8, 2012

Donald,
I have an American flag that was specifically dedicated in your honor to you in a week long ceremony in St. Louis Mo on 11-11-11. It stands displayed in my living room as a constant remembrance of you from the tragic flight 93. You are a hero always to be remembered my fellow American, I Salute you. Rest in Peace brother God Bless
To the Greene family I offer my deepest sympathy and prayers.

Scott Cleere

September 10, 2011

To the Green Family specially Debbie Sept 10 2011 I am watching the Memorial Dedication. I wish this attack never happened in the first place I miss My dad James D Cleere who was killed that day too. We will all meet each other soon after all you are Family.

Scott Chamberland

September 2, 2011

Please accept my deepest sympathies.

debbie

May 3, 2011

hey donnie . dont kwow what to say about the recent events
i havent processed the news yet.
i want you to know i hope the family gets come comfort. i miss and love you love debbie

J

March 30, 2011

May your soul rest in peace!

Maria Ragonese

December 24, 2010

You sound like a wonderful person. My sister in law, Laura and my cousin, Nick also died on 9/11. I am sure that you all know each other now. Your cousin, Debbie reached out to me on line and told me about you. You will always be in my thoughts and prayers as are all the heroes of Flight 93.

Clayton Young

September 12, 2010

On September 11, 2010 there was a motorcycle ride in Kansas City MO. The flag that flew after 9/11 and a New York Fire department truck was at this rally. Every motorcycle was given a name of one of the victims of 9/11. There were over 5000 motorcycles involved in this ride. I was given the name of Donald Greene, it was a very humbling experiance and I wanted to let the family know that he was remembered. I am very proud to be able to have had the honor to represent him and his family. If the family would like more information or pictures of this please dont hesitate to ask. I can tell you he was represented by one of the nicest motorcycles on the ride.

Scott Chamberland

September 11, 2010

REST IN PEACE

debbie

September 8, 2010

hi cousin as we approach 9/11 i wanted to write and tell you how much you are missed. i am slowly writing to your daughter and getting to know her .. i wish i had a connection with her and your son.. rip i think of you often

Jeff Bykowicz

July 14, 2010

Now we all know what a hero looks like. God Bless.

debbie

May 27, 2010

a week ago or so was your birthday as well as your moms i didnt want to let this time go bye without saying anything i think about you, us, our families and miss the connection with everyone. i know they miss you something fierce. donnie , i hope you rip and i wanted the rest of the family to know i taught an 8th grade class two days ago and they were doing a 9/11 mural, and i had a chance tell all but one class about you, your flight , your family etc, so more children are now connected to you and your fellow passengers and other victims of that awful day.
i love you and miss you very much. love cousin debbie

Nancy Maytic

May 26, 2010

Donald - I recently visited the WTC site and purchased a bracelet at the site gift shop ... I was so very touched and was not going to open my pouch...I just wanted to donate something in the memory of all the brave souls that lost their lives that day, it just tore at my heart but I couldn't resist and being a Proud American... I had to open and proudly wear my bracelet... bearing your name.

I wish to extend my deepest condolences to your family...and will wear this token for the rest of my life... RIP Donald...you will never be forgotten.

September 11, 2009

Bless you for your courage and strength. After eight years, you and your fellow Heros are not forgotten. You are remembered with reverence for your brave acts, and have become the standard by which future generations are measuring their own mettle.

I hope that your family is blessed with good health, prosperity and peace. You will always be remembered and revered. Thank you.

debbie

September 7, 2009

hi donnie.. cant believe its been 8 years.. you are in my thoughts today and everyday..
to claudette and charlie and jody, i know what a difficult time this is, and to the rest of the family, you know donnie is always in my heart.. much love.. cousin debbie..

May 21, 2009

Hi Don, I'm thinking of you today. Hope you have a wonderful birthday in heaven. Your family is well and you would be so proud of them. God bless you now and always.

Doug Abraham

May 21, 2009

Happy Birthday!!!

December 29, 2008

someone wrote gagas birthday on the 28th.. no it was the 27th.. hope the family remembers you both,, hard to believe its been 7 years...

i think about you often,, and i send much love to the sky.

love debbie

December 28, 2008

Hi Don.....

It's Gagas birthday today. I am sure you guys are having fun in heaven. Be well and find peace.

Shandi

September 11, 2008

Thank You

Peggy Childers

September 11, 2008

To the family of Donald F. Greene:
Donald gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. My deepest sympathy to you. We must never forget!
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

Bonnie Greene LeVar

September 11, 2008

Another year and it doesn't get any easier. Love, Bon

Grant Woollacott

September 9, 2008

Hi Don....
I am thinking of you and your great family this Thursday while in Shanksville.......
I won't ever forget you.

Charles (Corky) Rand

September 8, 2008

Did not know my first cousin that well as I was much younger than him but I do know one thing for sure--he was a tough courageous guy and would have landed the plane if given the chance--Donnie was a true hero as were many others that fateful day and I am proud to call him my cousin

Judith Magee

September 8, 2008

As we come up on the 7th Anniversary of that terrible day, I know that you are watching over us. Your spirit is always around thanks to your cousin Debbie who loves you very much and thinks of you often. I can't believe that it has been 7 years already as it seems like it was just yesterday. I know in my heart Don, that you are definitely one of the heroes of this tragedy and if possible you would have flown that plane to safety. But God had other plans for you and the others on that jet. Everyone aboard all the jets are heroes. They had no clue when they boarded that jet what their fate was. I plan to go see the Memorial at Ground Zero upon it's completion and although I didn't know you personally, when I view your name I will be able to say that you were a hero and that through a friend I have gotten to know a wonderful human being. God Bless You Don and your family.

Sincerely,

debbie

September 7, 2008

HI DONNIE. its been 7 long years since that fateful day. i think about you often, and i wonder sometimes if our memory of that day is fading. I know they are trying to build a memorial, and having fund raising issues, how sad since it was your flight that saved the Senate etc. how quickly people forget.. I hear the kids are doing as well as can be expected Im sure they would make you very proud.
I miss you..

Love cousin debbie

Grant Woollacott

August 5, 2008

Thinking of you today......

Doug Abraham

May 21, 2008

Happy Birthday!!!

Grant Woollacott

May 8, 2008

Don-
It has been wonderful to know you through the eyes of your sister. You are a great inspiring man who I won't forget.

John Sinclair

April 22, 2008

May you never be forgotten.

debbie

April 8, 2008

dear donnie, i think about you so often, what you would be doing if you were here, watching your children grow, and just enjoy day to day pleasures.i know everyone misses you terribly, and i want you and others to know you arent forgotten.. all my love cousin debbie

Patricio Calles

January 2, 2008

What happened in 9/11 was just not fair, my most sincere condolences for your family and friends, here in Mexico you are remembered.

Bonnie LeVar

November 30, 2007

Dear Don,
On this first anniversary of the death of our father, it comforts me to know that he is in heaven with you.
Charlie and Jody are blessed with your many wonderful attributes and we all love and treasure them - your living legacy. I will always miss and love you.
Your sister, Bon

Bonnie Greene Le Var

Debbie , Kenny Coffey

September 9, 2007

You are in our thoughts and prayers.

MIchael Baldwin

September 9, 2007

Uncle Donnie,
I have missed you every day, I will always cherish the all of the wonderful times I shared with you. Our family has never been the same without you.
Love Mikey

P Tabbernor

September 1, 2007

In memory....

Marilyn Simon

June 14, 2007

My husband and I bought our home in Del Mar from Don and Charlotte Greene. We were friends during the 1980s but lost touch. I tried to find Don through the net and learned of his violent and heroic death. Don touched our lives in so many ways. I lost my own brother on August 11, 2001. I believe the two of them had so much in common.

If Don's family would like to see the home that Don lived in while in California, we would welcome their visit.

Ron and Marilyn Simon

Doug Abraham

May 21, 2007

Happy Birthday!!!

Leigh Ann Allred

April 28, 2007

Take comfort in knowing that now you have a special guardian angel to watch over you.

Chris Bassoo

January 8, 2007

From Chris Bassoo and family...I just saw the A & E movie and our hearts go out to your family (we wanted to send our prayers to every family from this flight)...Our prayers and thoughts are with you...we will never forget..warmest of regards Chris Bassoo (your northern friends)

Kristine

October 30, 2006

As I cross-stitched your name on the memorial that I am doing for all of the victims, I prayed for you and your family. Please know that your death was not in vain. We will always remember. God Bless.

Trisha Herrity

September 11, 2006

I saw a tribute to flight 93 on television tonight and I felt sure that Donald Greene would have flown that plane if there was anyway possible he could have. He is what heros are made of. Mary Boffa was my cousin who died in the WTC.

Lexy Tanner

September 11, 2006

Five years later and we still miss you, Donnie. With much love, always - Lexy, Alec and Terry

Denise Christian

September 11, 2006

Donald is a true American Hero & will always be remembered on this day & forever by so many of us who will never forget. God Bless His Family!!! Denise, Deanna, Angie & Cristina

Judith Magee

August 30, 2006

I am a friend of Debbie's and have been since high school. I did not know Don personally but since the Terrorist Attack 5 years ago, have listen to the wonderful stories about him that Debbie has shared with me. As we come upon the 5th Anniversary of that terrible day that changed our lives forever, I want to say God Bless You Don and Bless Your Family, especially to Debbie who has kept your spirit alive for many of us. She has been a great advocate for your spirit and we all truly believe that you were definitely a hero on Flight 93 and if you could have you would have brought that plane down safely but you never had the chance. Your children can honestly say their dad was and always will be a hero.



GOD BLESS YOU DON AND TO YOUR FAMILY MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY AS YOU ARE REMINDED THAT ANOTHER YEAR IS APPROACHING US.



WITH LOVE AND AFFECTION,

Judith A. Magee

Daytona Beach, FL

Personal Friend of Debbie Rand.

Donna Taylor

February 4, 2006

Thank-You and your family from the very depths of my heart for your courageous sacrifice. If it would be of any consolation to any of you, my Husband (Army) and Son (Marines) have fought (Afghanistan and Iraq) for the very freedoms that this fine individual gave his life for. Your name will never be forgotten in my home. May God hold you and your family within HIS loving arms until the day you meet again. A sister in Christ.

Donna

Pam Beers

January 13, 2006

Everyone on this flight was, and IS my hero.

Betty Schultz

September 11, 2005

Dear Donald,

Today is September 11, 2005. It is four years since you were taken from your loved ones...taken from this earthly world. Yet, your beautiful smiling face peers back at those who click on this page, making you seem ever near, ever present. For those of us who never had the opportunity to meet you...to know you, I am sure, by what I have learned about you, that we have sorely missed out on knowing one of God's special people. So, to you, Donald F. Greene,I know in my heart that God will continue to hold you near as he touches the aching hearts of those who knew you and who continue to keep your beautiful memories alive. To your beloved family, friends and acquaintences and to Debbie, your cousin, I express my deepest sympathy. May God soothe your aching hearts and give you joy in knowing that you were a part of this beautiful man's life.

Melanie D'Souza

September 10, 2005

My Condolences I know it is hard but have faith and there will be shining light ahead.



Debbie's friend.

Sarah PlainAndTall

September 13, 2004

This is a wonderful tribute. You are doing a great job. I just wish these terrible events never had to happen.

Carol Gelman

September 11, 2004

Condolences to the family from Debbie's friend.

Brown University Photo, Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, 1971

Art Italo

June 8, 2004

Don Greene was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity at Brown University, graduating in 1971.

I had the pleasure of knowing Don when I rushed the house in 1971. He was a senior that year and I was a freshman, so my interaction with him was brief, but he made a lasting impression as one of the nicer guys in the house with a great sense of humor.

To those of us who knew him, the speculation that he may have been involved in foiling the terrorists' plans that day are all too plausible. Don was never one to shy away from a difficult task. His enthusiasm and his gung ho attitude make us all certain that he would have been in the middle of any attempt by the passengers to retake the aircraft, especially in light of his pilot skills.

On May 29, 2004, a group of his fraternity brothers from the classes in the early 70's had a reunion at Brown University. On that day we took a few moments to recall the life of Don Greene and some of our experiences with him. We followed that with a moment of silence to honor his memory.

We send his family our deepest condolences. Those who were lucky enough to know him were better for it.

LUCY ARISTIZABAL

February 23, 2004

DEAR,CLAUDETTE,CHARLIE AND JODY,is february 23-2004 , just this past week, i found about this page, so i decide to tell you how much i always love you and pray for all of you, my family always has somethig nice and good about Don your husband and father, probably you remember me , but i was your babysitter for a few years, i still remember the dates when you Charlie an Jodi born,the happines of him,how proud and happy he was ,my family , Carlos ,Natalia,Miguel ,and lucy, we are so sorry for his loss, and we are keeping you in our prayer all the time, we love you all.God bless you. oxoxoxo lucy

Ashley Nowlin

January 20, 2004

I would like to extend my condolences to the family for their loss on September 11th. I am a student at Killough Middle School in Houston, Texas and our substitute teacher is the niece of Mr. Greene. She shared his story with us and I wanted to read about him and see what he looked like.

My thoughts are with the family.

Kathy Nolasco

September 20, 2003

To the Greene Family and to my dear friend, Debbie:

My sincere sympathy to all of you. I truly believe that God has a plan and his plan included Don as a hero. I will always think of all of the people involved in the terrible tradegies of 9/11 as being heroes.

Love and peace to all of you ...

Carol Gelman

September 12, 2003

My sincere condolences to my friend Debbie and all the family. You must take comfort in the fact that Donald's death was not for naught. He was a real hero, part of a group that saved the country from a most horrendous action. He will be part of history, and his children can be forever proud.

Carrie Page

September 11, 2003

To the Greene Family,

My thoughts are with you. I have had the pleasure of knowing Charlie, Jody and Mrs. Greene. Such wonderful people. Your dad and husband is watching over you now. He lives forever in your hearts. Jody having once been your dance teacher, know that I am always here for you and your family. We love you. You are in our hearts.

Carolee Arlund

September 9, 2003

May God bless and keep Donald's family as they honor his memory on the 2nd anniversary of his untimely death. He is the lucky one, he is with our awesome God, at peace, watching over all of you.

J V

July 13, 2003

I want to say I am sorry to the family.
Don will always be in my prayers...
May God Bless You and may his soul rest is peace.....

Anne Schoenfeld-Rodkin

September 11, 2002

Donald,



While I did not know you in life, I have come to know a little about you through your cousin Debbie.



You and the all of the others will never be forgotten. Debbie and I will see to that.



And to Donald's beloved family, take solace in knowing that Donnie was a true hero.





Anne

Christine & David Auld

September 10, 2002

Although we did not know Don, we know some of your wonderful family. We think of you and wish peace for your family. Our entire nation will never forget your sacrifice.

Debra Smith

September 10, 2002

To the family of Donald Greene: Pleae know that your beloved Donald, along with so many others, are in the hearts of all Americans, at this the 1st Anniversary of the terrible day that took Donalds life! God be with you all!

Yvonne Greene

September 6, 2002

Dear Claudette and boys,

As I read the flight manifests at our church prayer service and found Donald's name on it, I wondered if were were related in some way. Like so may Americans, I came to pray, look for answers and hopefully find peace, or rather the some semblence of peace.

As weeks and months have passed, I've prayed often for you; the rest of those lost on Sept. 11, and for the rest of the nation.

It doesn't really matter if we are in some way from the same "family." What matters is that your husband and daddy fought for our country, gave his life so that others did not have to suffer more loss.

Thank you for your sacrifice and love.

Claudette, I pray for you and hope you've found your strength in God. Thank you for sharing your husband's story with the rest of the world. We are all richer for it.

Your new "sister" in Christ,

Yvonne

Kim Frazier

September 6, 2002

To the family of Donald Greene, Please accept our condolences. Your husband, dad, child, died a hero. I can't imagine how much you miss him. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Your Donald will never be forgotten for his brave actions. May God Bless You, Sincerely, The Frazier Family

Scott cleere

April 6, 2002

Dear Debbie: I have been still praying for you and your family for your loss of Don. As you already know about the loss of my Father Jim Cleere from the World Trade Center Marriott. I know now from what I have read so far about Don.

He sure sound like a very kind and loving Man. I hope that we as the families will be able to come face to face 1 day soon !!!



I along with my family are planning to go to New York for the 1 year

anniversary from Sept 10 thru the 15th. I hope to see you there !!

May God be with you always and Ron will never be forgotten.

Love ya your

Newly Adopted brother

A. Scott Cleere

ms. Daisy kish

April 3, 2002

Donald, there is no doubt in my mind

that you were one of those heros on flight 93, along with all the others. Us Grandma's know things like that..Thanks sweet boy.

Peace and comfort to the ones you leave behind.

Barbara Yale

March 16, 2002

Donald, I never say you before,till now What a handsome Man you are. Your boys must look just like there daddy.I know your in heavan as gods many angles, Always watch over your family help them in tought time, To his family talk to him as if he was next to you . He can hear you and he will help you,just talk to him. God bless the Donald F. Greene Family ..3/16/02

Richard Shweder

March 14, 2002

Don Freeman Greene is my wife's first cousin - her mother's brother's son. He and his three brothers (the Freeman boys) and she and her two sisters (the Walter sisters) grew up together as children, loved each other as adults and celebrated many happy family occasions together at my mother-in-law's home. Don's first parents, Charles (Chuck) and Phyllis Freeman both died when he was a child. When Chuck Freeman died Phyllis remarried, and Don and his three brothers become part of the fabulous and expansive Greene clan; and he was a stalwart of that "Brady bunch". Don's young son, Charley, was named in honor and remembrance of Don's father. Charley's words of remembrance for his own father, spoken on September 11, are recounted below in a speech that I wrote out of love for Don Freeman Greene and to honor his heroism. Those who knew him well know why the men and women on UA93 thought they could land that plane, and why they decided that they were not going down without a fight.



"I am always going to think of my father with his hand on the throttle of that plane, crashing it into a field in Pennsylvania". Those were the words of the ten-year-old son of one of the passengers who died on United Airlines Flight 93, the failed suicide mission that was probably designed for the White House. The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook does not tell you what to do when four fanatical Islamic terrorists intent on martyring themselves hijack your airplane. So the thirty-eight passengers on that mission out of hell had to figure it out for themselves. We can only imagine their demise, yet imagine it we must, for the sake of creating a national legend that inspires us and deserves to grow. Like young Charley Greene, whose words were reported at a massive memorial service held last Friday morning at Temple Shalom in Greenwich, Connecticut, I choose to believe his father's death was heroic.



The black box containing conversations in the cockpit during the final minutes of Flight 93 has been found. Yet it seems unlikely we will ever know for certain who did what and when, if anything, to resist the terror and abort a second attack on our capital. The plane, bound for San Francisco, took off from the Newark, New Jersey airport at 8:43AM, a mere five minutes before the North Tower of the World Trade Center was attacked. Fifty minutes later, in the vicinity of Cleveland, Ohio it veered radically off course, turning back towards the East Coast. It crashed at 10:10AM in a field near Shanksville, PA, but only after dipping and diving in a way that is consistent with the picture of a struggle for control in the cockpit. Thanks to cell phone calls, we know that the passengers were hatching a plan to retake the plane. And that is where the facts come to an end and our imagination can begin.



Charley's image of his father is not entirely implausible to those of us who knew him well. There were many heroically inclined men and women on the plane, who upon realizing that they were on a suicide mission said to each other "to hell with them, we are not going down without a fight." But Charley knew that his father, Donny Greene, was a skillful pilot with many years of experience at the controls of private jets. Irony of ironies, he was the executive Vice President of an aviation business called Safe Flight Instrument Corporation. It is easy to imagine him taking a shot at landing a Boeing 757 and letting the others know he might be able to fly the badly damned craft. This would have given some confidence to a small band of heroes, who might well have hoped they could storm the cockpit, gain the throttle, and perhaps even get home.



The full unfolding of events during the final minutes of the flight will probably not be well recorded. Perhaps Ziad Samir al-Jarrah and the other not so holy zealots who stole UA 93 were incompetent and didn't really know how to maneuver the plane. Maybe they ditched it to avoid capture, after realizing they were behind schedule and had lost some of the hideous and total advantage of a devastating surprise. Or perhaps there was desperate hand-to-hand combat on board and everything went out of control. At last Friday's memorial service Claudette Greene had this to say of her husband: "I know he died trying to save the lives of others." Most Americans know that too, of Donald Freeman Greene and of all the other men and women on that flight whom we wish to honor. They are dead. We grieve and we miss them terribly. Yet the very idea of their courage and sacrifice ennobles the human spirit, and lifts us up in this dark hour. May their legend grow. May it not be misunderstood. The memorial service ended with a prayer for peace.

Candy Shweder

March 13, 2002

Dear Claudette, Charlie and Jody, I think of my cousin Donnie every day. I am flooded with wonderful memories of growing up with him. Charlie, you are looking more and more like your dad, and you should be very proud. He is a man to imitate in every way. He was a loving man, a kind man. He was very funny and most of all he loved the three of you more than anything in the world. We all miss him so much. Love, Candy

Valerie Williamson

March 12, 2002

TO THE FAMILY OF DONALD R.GREENE:

I WANT TO SEND MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO YOU AS YOU LOST YOUR LOVED ONE!! I KNOW IT IS HARD TO COME TO GRASP WITH THIS HORRIFIC ACT.



I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW ME AND MY FAMILY THINK THAT IT WAS A GREAT THING TO STOP THOSE TERRORISTS TO GOT IN THE WHITE HOUSE WHEN HE AND OTHERS DECIDED TO ATTACK THOSE TERRORISTS. TO ME THAT IS A REAL HERO! I AM ONLY SORROW IN THE EVENT OF THE PLANE CRASHING THAT HIS PRECIOUS LIFE WAS TAKEN WITH MANY OTHERS. MAY YOU ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT HE DID SAVE MANY PEOPLE ALSO IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND SAVING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!



MAY YOU ALWAYS FIND FAITH AND LOVE IN GOD AND ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT YOUR LOVED ONE DID A GOOD DEED!! SINCERLEY YOURS, VALERIE AND FAMILY.

Robert Rocca

March 11, 2002

I Worked for Don at Safe Flight, he was a good boss with a dry sense of humor, very funny. I was fortunate to work with him on a few projects, and happy to do some "G-jobs" for him, graphics of his family or birthday cards for his kids, were my favorites.

I will miss him, work is just not the same without him here. God is with you Don...

Phyllis Green

February 12, 2002

Donald Greene's mother was named Phyllis. I am Phyllis Green. Although I never met Donald, I met his cousin at the 911 commemorative quilt exhibit in Houston, just a few days after my own beloved father passed away.

The coincidence in having the same name as his mother was compounded by our shared mourning. I am honored to have agreed to design the Donald Greene block for the "United in Memory" quilt that is now in the works.

From everything I've read about Donald, he is a man I would have been privileged to know. My heart goes out to his family, and I hope to meet them some day, to learn more about their "Phyllis" and Donald. His darling children must learn, as he did, to rely on the spiritual help of a parent who cannot be with them physically to become leaders in their own right. Donald would certainly have told them so, had he been able. I hope to help remind them of his wonderful example, in constructing this block of the quilt.

Phyllis Green, Newport Beach, CA. (formerly of Phila. PA.)

Heidi Nelson

February 11, 2002

I just received my "mercy band" bearing Don's name, and I will 'bear his name' and the names of his precious family daily in prayer. My husband and I have small children who, like Don's children, play soccer and always need good coaches. When I read he volunteered to coach the soccer team I knew he was a kindred spirit and a selfless person. Our hearts go out to his wife and his children, and so do our continual prayers. I can't imagine going on without my husband, but I know God would give me the strength and wisdom to do so. I'll pray the same for Claudette. I lost my father to a heart attack when I was eleven, and I still cherish his memory and the contributions he made to who I am. I was afraid I would forget him, but to the contrary, as I approach the age he was when he died, I remember him better as I experience life from an adult's perspective. May God comfort all of you, and strengthen you as you continue your journeys here on earth without the physical presence of your loved one. What you learned from him in word and in deed will always live on in you.

Rose Ann Romero

January 15, 2002

My soon to be husband, and my daughter wear mercy bands. I wear yours Donald every day. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Although I don't know you the stories shared here today are incredible, and bring me closer to knowing what a great person you were. I look at this mercy band everyday, and one day we will meet in heaven. May you rest in peace.

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