10 Heartbreaking Details Surrounding Brian Sweeney’s Final Voicemail To His Wife On 9/11

6 /10 Sweeney Uniform

Julie and Brian first met at a “suit bar” in Philadelphia in 1998. Both had never been to the place before, and it was a hangout spot frequented mostly by business people at night, hence the nickname.

Unlike the regular crowd, Brian walked in wearing a typical casual outfit: jeans, a button-down denim shirt nicely tucked in, hiking boots, and a baseball cap.

In a place full of suits, he effortlessly stood out. Jules immediately knew he was the kind of man she would marry.

5 /10 Former Navy Pilot

Brian Sweeney served in the military as a Navy pilot during the first Gulf War.

He was a flight instructor for the Navy in California, too. On the day of the incident, he had been working for Brandes Associates, a contractor for the Department of Defense.

Given the situation on the plane, the voice message was evidence that his priority at the precarious moment was to let his wife know how much he loved her.

The statement implied it would have been alright for his wife to move forward if the situation had taken the worst turn, which it did.

4 /10 Calm Demeanor

Despite the imminent danger, it was remarkable that Brian still had the calm demeanor as heard in his voice.

Just about three minutes after he ended the call, the plane crashed.

His message showed hope and optimism even when things couldn’t be farther from being undisturbed on board.

Jules said Brian wouldn’t have left the news unless he was aware of the inevitable calamity.

In January 2002, Jules decided to make the voice mail public in the hope of bringing some comfort to other victims’ families and friends.

3 /10 Personal Call To Mother

Moments before the crash, Brian called his mother, Louise, who said that the conversation she had with her son was much too personal to share with the public.

An independent commission investigating the attack determined three people made phone calls before the crash; Brian was one of them.

A caller predicted the hijackers wanted to use the plane as a projectile to hit a building.

The prediction was accurate. The commission never identified who this person was.

2 /10 The 9/11 Tribute Museum

Jules has volunteered at the 9/11 Tribute Museum, a community center where visitors can watch videos and learn personal stories about victims and survivors of the incident.

For Jules, the museum and the people she meets during the work have helped her cope with the grief.

Jules does not use the term “closure.” She believes that moving forward should not require you to forget about the past. Jules has since remarried; she now lives in New Jersey and is blessed with two children.

1 /10 September 11 Death Toll

The September 11, 2001 tragedy killed 2,977 people in Washington D.C, New York City, and the outskirts of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Around 25,000 people were injured in the crash.

The death toll has been steadily increasing since the day of the attack.

By 2016, at least 1,000 more people died due to illnesses caused by the dust and debris from the incident.

Brian Sweeney was one of those victims; he was one person whose stories of optimism and perseverance have powerfully impacted others.