later discover the passengers and crew on flight 93 had stormed the cockpit, the plane crashing into a shanksville, pennsylvania, field. >> if those heroes on 93 -- by the way, those are the real heroes. if they hadn't taken action and they hadn't done what needed to be done, it would have been a very different outcome for me and my family. >> reporter: but he kept quiet about his own role that day. when you went home, your wife and kids are there. what did you say? >> well, i said nothing at first. i hugged them and squeezed them very tightly. and i didn't tell them, actually, for awhile, what had happened. and i told them that i loved them. and i was going to be gone to work for a long time, because something very bad had happened to america. >> reporter: his wife, karen, and the kids were there for his retirement ceremony this week after some 40 years of service. >> there's been a tremendous honor and a privilege to serve and a truly rare opportunity for me and my family to make a difference. now you have the watch. thank you all. >> reporter: one last speech, and one last flight. karen moved t