This browser does not support the Video element.
United Flight 93: Deborah Jacobs Welsh’s Delco legacy
Delco native Deborah Jacobs Welsh, lead flight attendant on Flight 93, is remembered for her heroism and compassion on September 11.
MEDIA, Pa. - Deborah Jacobs Welsh, the lead flight attendant aboard United Flight 93 and a Delaware County native, is being remembered for both her bravery on September 11 and the vibrant life she lived in her hometown, according to friends and official sources.
Reflecting on the life and legacy of Debbie Jacobs Welsh
Welsh, 49, worked as the purser in first class on Flight 93, bringing more than 25 years of flight attendant experience with three airlines.
Raised in Delaware County as the oldest of six children, she loved to travel and often delivered leftover airline meals and warm clothing to homeless people in Manhattan, where she lived with her husband.
Friends say that only three days before the September 11 attacks, Welsh joined several friends from Delaware County for a girls’ weekend and a concert in New York.
Ann Laye, a friend, said, "She was the fun girl, she was the one with the big smile on her face."
Welsh changed her work schedule so she could spend that weekend with her friends, which is why she was assigned to Flight 93. "Debbie had changed her schedule to be with us that weekend and that is why she was on the flight that day," said Laye. Friends say Welsh was proud to show off her her adopted town of New York City.
On the morning of September 11, Welsh was serving as lead flight attendant aboard Flight 93 when it was hijacked. Friends and reports say Welsh helped alert passengers and crew to what was happening.
Denise Sucher said, "If it wasn’t for Debbie, I guess, screaming and telling the other people on the airplane that they were being hijacked, I think that’s how that plane—and the heroes of that plane—came to be." Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, according to friends and reports, after those aboard fought back, preventing the plane from reaching its intended target.
Personal stories from friends and family
The backstory:
Friends recall Welsh’s childhood in Wallingford, Delaware County, her time at Notre Dame High School in Moylan, and her big personality.
Denise Sucher who met Welsh in 6th grade said, "She was just a wonderful person a wonderful friend. She was like a sister to me." Laye said, "All we kept thinking about is how much fun we had on that weekend. And that’s what we want to remember her, as the fun, vivacious woman that she was."
Her friends say they have made it a tradition to honor her memory every year, gathering or going to mass to remember Welsh and her spirit.
"I know that she helped that plane not go where it was intended to go, and for that, I call her a hero," said Nancy Sucher.
What's next:
Welsh’s name is etched at the Ground Zero Memorial and on a beach bench in North Wildwood. Friends say they try to get together every year to honor her memory.
The Source: This article contains information from the National Park Service and interviews with friends of Deborah Jacobs Welsh conducted by FOX 29.