Flight 93 Memorial
During my stay at Shawnee State Park I realized that I was about 30 minutes away from the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I have had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, but not the Flight 93 Memorial. So, I felt it was really important to take this opportunity while I was in the area.
For anyone unfamiliar with the significance of the Flight 93 Memorial, here is a brief overview. On September 11, 2001 terrorists flew commercial airliners into the World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. Shortly after these attacks took place, the 40 passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 voted to fight back against their hijackers and prevent any more people from losing their lives. Their brave actions saved countless people on the ground, but it meant sacrificing their own lives.
My experience at the Flight 93 Memorial was incredibly moving. My first stop was the Visitor’s Center. Within the center there is a large exhibit focused on the timeline of events and the actions of the people on board. The exhibit was beautifully done, but very difficult to experience. It was so hard to hear the voices of the passengers saying goodbye to families. Their courage and bravery brought me to tears. Just outside the Visitor’s Center is a viewing area that overlooks the crash site and a large marble wall that aligns with the flightpath of Flight 93.
Just beyond the Visitor’s Center is the Wall of Names. There is a beautiful walking path along the crash field that leads to a white marble wall with the names of each passenger and crew member engraved. At the end of the wall is a wooden gate that leads out to the crash site.
At the entry of the park there is the newest addition to the National Memorial, The Tower of Voices. This 93 foot tall memorial consists of 40 wind chimes – one for each passenger and crew member who died in the crash. It is incredibly powerful and moving to stand and listen to the chimes in the wind.
Tower of Voices
Experiencing the Flight 93 Memorial was powerful. The reality of what true sacrifice for the greater good looks like was felt in every part of the memorial. It was a somber experience, but one I am glad that I had.
