EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force will use Sept. 11 passenger Todd Beamer's words "Let's Roll" as a logo on several aircraft until the first anniversary of the attacks.
The design depicts a bald eagle soaring in front of the U.S. flag with the words "Spirit of 9-11" set in a golden sword and the phrase underneath the eagle's talons.
Four F-15s at the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base now bear the logo near the cockpit.
"This is certainly great for the American people, to show them how much we realize all that everyone has done in stepping up to the plate in what happened to this country," said Col. Hawk Carlisle, commander of the 33rd.
Beamer, a 32-year-old account manager for Oracle Corp., was on United Flight 93, which crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside on Sept. 11. It was the only one of four hijacked planes that didn't kill anyone on the ground.
Before the crash, Beamer cried, "Let's roll!" on an in-flight phone as passengers apparently prepared to confront the hijackers. President Bush has repeatedly used Beamer's words to rally Americans in the war on terrorism.
Each of the Air Force's nine major commands and approximately 100 flying wings have been asked to select one aircraft from each wing to display the nose art, said Maj. Michael Shavers.
Shaver said the design will also be displayed by the Air Force's demonstration teams, including the showcase aerobatics team the Thunderbirds.
A foundation set up in Beamer's name wants to trademark the phrase and ensure that money made off it goes to the victims' families.
Several companies and individuals want to sell everything from T-shirts to mud flaps that include the words.