Leroy homer jr biography

LeRoy W. Homer, Jr.
36 years old
Marlton, New Jersey

Mr. Homer was the first officer of United Flight 93 -- the co-pilot.

A native of Hauppage, New York, he was an Air Force Academy graduate, a recruiter for the academy, a former Air Force pilot, and an Air Force reservist.

Friends say he was also a dedicated family man. "He loved his job. He loved his family," said Martin Hnatov, a friend.

Mr. Homer is survived by his wife, Melodie, and a 10-month-old daughter.

The following message is excerpted from the guestbook for Leroy Homer at AmericanLegacy.com:

"LeRoy was a friend from grade school and high school. We recently reconnected and in May he visited my home. He met with my husband and my son. LeRoy was so happy to share pictures of his new baby, Laurel, and his wife, Melodie. I was so pleased that he was able to stop in on his way to Kennedy airport where he was flying out of that day.

"LeRoy grew in to a fine man. I remember the boy he was back in 1979 and the young man he became in 1987. All grown up, he became a gentleman. I am sorry that our firendship will not grow. God bless you, LeRoy, I know you died doing what impassioned you. Flying was your life ... it was evident."

Love, Michele LaBarr-Haynes (Rego Park, NY)

For the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's biography of LeRoy Homer, Jr., click here.

The LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. Foundation has been established to provide scholarships for flying lessons for adolescents interested in one day pursuing an aviation career. Click here to visit their site.

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Pilot on United Airlines Flight 93 (1965–2001)

LeRoy Wilton Homer Jr. (August 27, 1965 – September 11, 2001) was the First Officer of United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001, and crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 37 passengers and seven crewmembers, including LeRoy.

Early life

Homer, son of a West German woman and an American soldier who was stationed in West Germany, grew up on Long Island in New York. He was one of nine children, and seven of his siblings were girls. As a child, he assembled model airplanes, collected aviation memorabilia and read books on aviation. Whenever the family held events where men weren't invited, his father would take him to McArthur Airport where they would watch the planes takeoff and land. He was 15 years old when he started flight instruction in a Cessna 152. Working part-time jobs after school to pay for flying lessons, he completed his first solo trip at the age of 16 and obtained his private pilot's certificate in 1983. Homer graduated from Ss. Cyril and Methodius School in 1979 and St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in 1983.

Career and personal life

He entered the United States Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 1987. As an upperclassman, he was a member of Cadet Squadron 31. He graduated on May 27, 1987, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

After completing his USAF pilot training in 1988, he was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, flying a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. While on active duty, he served in the Gulf War and later supported operations in Somalia. He received many commendations, awards and medals during his military career. In 1993, he was named the Twenty-First Air Force "Aircrew Instructor of the Year". Homer achieved the rank of captain before his honorable discharge from

The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation is a national 501(c)(3)non-profit organization founded in memory of First OfficerLeRoy W. Homer Jr. LeRoy Homer was the co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. The organization is based Marlton, New Jersey and is operated on an all-volunteer basis which allows donated funds to be used for the foundation’s programs. The foundation's board consists of six individuals who are aviators, friends and/or family members of LeRoy Homer, or volunteers. The foundation has two honorary board members, Soledad O’Brien and Emily Warner.

Mission statement

The mission of The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation is to encourage and support young adults who wish to pursue careers as professional pilots and increase awareness to the field of aviation. The Foundation awards flight scholarships to obtain private pilot certification.

History

The foundation was founded in 2002 by Melodie Homer, the wife of LeRoy Homer. The Foundation was established to provide support and encouragement to young adults with an interest in aviation and to help them pursue professional flight instruction leading to certification as a private pilot. Aviation scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis to young adults through an application process. The scholarship application window is every year from November 1s until January 31. Applications are reviewed by a scholarship committee of Foundation board members. Once an individual is selected as a scholarship recipient, flight training is expected to be completed the same year.

Since The Foundation began in 2002, twenty-five scholarships have been granted.  All twenty-five recipients have received their private pilot license. 

All but one individual is working in the field of aviation as follows:

Seventeen individuals have graduated from four year programs with degrees including aeronautical engin

LeRoy Wilton Homer Jr. (August 27, 1965 – September 11, 2001) was the First Officer of United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked as part of the September 11 attacks in 2001, and crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 37 passengers and seven crewmembers, including LeRoy.

Biography

Homer, son of a West German woman and an American soldier who was stationed in West Germany, grew up on Long Island in New York, where he always dreamed of flying. As a child, he assembled model airplanes, collected aviation memorabilia and read books on aviation. He was 15 years old when he started flight instruction in a Cessna 152. Working part-time jobs after school to pay for flying lessons, he completed his first solo trip at the age of 16 and obtained his private pilot's certificate in 1983.

Homer graduated from Ss. Cyril and Methodius School in 1979 and St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in 1983.

He entered the United States Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 1987. As an upperclassman, he was a member of Cadet Squadron 31. He graduated on May 27, 1987, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

After completing his USAF pilot training in 1988, he was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, flying a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter. While on active duty, he served in the Gulf War and later supported operations in Somalia. He received many commendations, awards and medals during his military career. In 1993, he was named the Twenty-First Air