Flight 93 Memorial

In a field in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania

 rises a very tall concrete structure.

We have seen the signs for Flight 93 Memorial for years,

and on a recent trip back from Michigan

 we took the detour to see the site.

The park "officially" closes at 5 pm,

 but you can still see the site and

walk the grounds till dusk in the 

summer when the park gates close. 

The Tower of Voices that honors the 40 people

 who died on September 11, 2001 

on Flight 93 is a more recent addition to the Memorial.

The Tower of Voices is a 93 foot tall monument 

and with little wind was silent the day we visited.

The structure is grand and powerful and stands 

with massive strength in the open field.

It is a testament to the courage of a group of people

 who had never met before boarding a plane

 on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Farther into the park is the actual crash site.

 40 marble panels form a wall with the names

 of each remembered hero.

Passenger Todd Beamer is one of the 

well-known names from this Wall of Remembrance.

The Wall of Names follows the trajectory 

of the plane crash and is denoted 

by the black granite path.

 The Ceremonial gate

 is made of hemlock (a symbol for this site) 

with 40 cut angles.

Beyond the gate is the boulder 

that marks the crash site.

The Crash Site Boulder

Just before 10 am the hijacked plane was seen
flying low and erratically over southwestern Pennsylvania.
At 10:03 am it crashed, upside down at 563 miles
per hour into this spot in a Somerset County field.
There were no survivors.
All 33 passengers, seven crew members
and four hijackers are killed.
It is believed that the heroic efforts
on this flight saved the plane from crashing
  most likely into the US Capitol.
This plane that was bound for San Francisco, California
 from Newark, New Jersey
was delayed 25 minutes before takeoff.
When the terrorists took over the plane,
the passengers and crew began phoning family,
friends and authorities to report the hijacking.
 Their calls- 13 people placed 37 calls-
told them of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
They understood that their delayed take off
had foiled the terrorist plan for their plane
to be a part of the unified attack.
They also realized that the Washington bound plane
was meant for destruction.
The passengers and crew then made a collective decision,
by vote, to rush the terrorists and try to retake the plane.

There is certainly something very solemn about
this National Park near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
On this Anniversary of the event 22 years ago today,
we give thanks for the all the ways

our Lord has protected our nation and the world.

May His hand continue to guide the 

way of peace and hope in our world.