Who was CeeCee Lyles? Florida man gets flight attendant mom’s letter years after her tragic 9/11 death
Jevon Castrillo got a letter from his mother CeeCee Lyles, who died on United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001.
A Florida man who recently became a father received a handwritten letter from his mother, written months before she was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, accoridng to New York Post.
Jevon Castrillo, 30, was in elementary school when his mother died. Castrillo, now the father of a 3-month-old, holds on to his fading memories of his mother.
Who was CeeCee Lyles?
CeeCee Lyles died on United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001. None of the 40 people on board survived. Lyles, a retired police officer from Fort Pierce, Florida, was working as a flight attendant on the plane.
Castrillo was shocked when his former kindergarten teacher, Tammy Thurman, delivered a letter Lyles had written in March 2001, praising his reading skills.
“Dear Ms. Thurman, Jevon read a book last night that he brought home from the library. He read it from cover to cover. I told him I would write you a note and tell you what an outstanding job he did. We are very proud of him and will continue to work with him at home. Again, thank you for your dedication and courage for the job that you do. Cee Cee Lyles,” Castrillo read aloud to WPTV.
Also Read: Trump's ‘droopy’ face at 9/11 event renews health concerns: ‘What’s wrong with him?'
Castrillo tears up reading the letter
Castrillo said he teared up reading the letter. He added that it felt like “something she would definitely say.”
Thurman kept the letter safe even as she changed schools. The envelope was gone, but the letter itself was intact.
“As a mom, I know you need to see those words from your mom. She was a wonderful woman and you were a wonderful student,” Thurman told Castrillo, according to WPTV.
A statue honoring Lyles was erected in Fort Pierce, where Castrillo still lives.
Flight 93 is often the least remembered of the four planes hijacked on 9/11. Two were flown into the World Trade Center, and another struck the Pentagon.
Lyles tried to reach her family
During the attack, Lyles tried to reach her family. At first, she only reached her husband’s voicemail.
“They’ve hijacked the plane, I’m trying to be calm. We’re turned around, and I’ve heard that there’s planes that’s been, been flown into the World Trade Center. I hope to be able to see your face again baby. I love you,” she said, according to the 9/11 Memorial.
She left the message at 9:47 a.m. The South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed ten minutes later.
Lyles later reached her husband just after 10 a.m. She explained a plan the passengers and crew were forming to retake the plane from the hijackers. Lyles said they might throw boiling water at them.
After praying together, she told her husband, “We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!” and then hung up.
The passengers and crew tried to stop the plane from reaching its target. Todd Beamer, one of the passengers, is remembered for his final words over the air phone.
“Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll!” Beamer said before the line went dead.
Flight 93 crashed in a Pennsylvania field at 10:03 a.m., minutes after Lyles spoke with her husband. The plane was believed to be headed for Washington, DC. The passengers and crew prevented the hijackers from reaching the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, or the White House.
