John Ogonowski

John Alexander Ogonowski (February 24, 1951 – September 11, 2001) was an American aircraft pilot and an agricultural activist. A resident of Dracut, Massachusetts, Ogonowski was a leading advocate on behalf of farming in Massachusetts, particularly in aiding immigrant farmers from Cambodia, whom he assisted as part of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. He was the Captain of American Airlines Flight 11, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists and flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the September 11 attacks. He is believed to have been killed by the hijackers prior to the crash.

Biography John Alexander Ogonowski was born on February 24, 1951, in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he was raised."John Ogonowski, of Dracut, pilot for American Airlines". Remember September 11, 2001. Retrieved June 23, 2018. He is of Polish ancestry and attended St. Stanislaus School, a Roman Catholic parochial elementary school in Lowell. After graduating from Keith Academy, he attended Lowell Technological Institute (now the University of Massachusetts Lowell), where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.2010 Pi Lambda Phi Membership Directory He graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in nuclear engineering.

Ogonowski was a pilot in the U. S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, assigned to Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, ferrying equipment to Asia and sometimes transporting the bodies of fallen American soldiers in C-141 transport aircraft. Following his service commitment, he resigned his commission under honorable conditions and separated from the military with the rank of captain.

Ogonowski became a commercial pilot in 1978. For 23 years, he flew airplanes for American Airlines, and was a member of the Allied Pilot Association. Ogonowski had joined the airline as a flight engineer after previously serving that role in the Air Force.

During the course of his commercial piloting career, he met Margaret LaValle, a flight attendant who went by the nickname "Peggy",Perry, David (September 11, 2006). "For pilot's widow, life goes on. 'It has to.'". The Lowell Sun. whom he later married. They had three daughters: Laura, Caroline, and Mary Catherine.

Ogonowski was also an avid farmer, who secured 150 acres of farmland on Marsh Hill Road in Dracut through the federal Agriculture Preservation Restriction program. He raised hay, corn, pumpkins, blueberries, and peaches. He was a leading advocate for farming in Massachusetts, particularly in aiding immigrant farmers from Cambodia.

September 11 attacks Ogonowski was killed on September 11, 2001, while at the controls as captain during the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11. Following his death, ringleader Mohamed Atta took his seat to control the Boeing 767, and crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board. Ogonowski's remains have never been recovered or identified.

Legacy Ogonowski was survived by his wife and three daughters. His younger brother, Jim Ogonowski, who is also an agricultural activist, made an unsuccessful run for the United States House of Representatives in 2007.

In 2002, Ogonowski and Flight 11 flight attendants Betty Ong and Madeline Amy Sweeney were the inaugural recipients of the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery, an honor that the Government of Massachusetts instituted to award annually at least one Massachusetts resident for displaying extraordinary courage in defending or saving the lives of others.

Actor David Carnegie portrayed Ogonowski in BBC docudrama Zero Hour Season 1: Episode 2 (2004) called "The Last Hour of Flight 11".

A remote controlled model aircraft flying field in nearby Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was dedicated to Ogonowski.Captain John A. Ogonowski Memorial Model Flying Field" (Pinnacle Street) - Tewksbury, Massachusetts at The 495th R/C Squadron

The University of Massachusetts Lowell, presented Ogonowski with a posthumous honorary doctorate at its 2003 commencement ceremony at Tsongas Arena.

The USAID Farmer to Farmer program was renamed the "John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter FTF Program" as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.The John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program US Agency for International Development

At the National 9/11 Memorial, Ogonowski is memorialized at the North Pool, on Panel N-74, adjacent to the name of Kathleen A. Nicosia, a friend and flight attendant also killed on board American Airlines Flight 11 that day.

John Ogonowski

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