On September 11th 2001, 4 commercial jets were hijacked by terrorists in one of the most deadly terrorist attacks to ever take place on American soil. I still remember exactly what I was doing when that took place. I was a sophomore in high school and had been sentenced to in school suspension for not showing up to class. As I walked into the room, the television in the upper corner was set to the news. One plane had already crashed into, and we watched along with the rest of the nation as a second plane flew into the World Trade Centers in New York City. A third plane flew into the Pentagon in Washington DC. As the horror took over our senses, we found out that the fourth plane had been retaken by the passengers and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. If they had not crashed the plane, it would have been crashed into the White House. At that crash site, is now a memorial dedicated to them.
As you drive into the memorial, you are greeted by a (still in construction) art piece in the form of a giant bell tower. Each person that died has their own bell and as the wind blows, a different tone is sung for each person that died. The tower is surrounded by fields of flowers, with yellows and greens running together and exciting the eye.
The second part of the memorial is a visitors center with a viewing deck of the crash site. Inside, there is a museum dedicated to the brave men and women that sacrificed themselves that fateful day. A wall with each of their pictures honors them, with quotes that were taken from the black box highlighting how brave they each were.
It’s a little surreal for me to think about. To know that you are going to die. To know that the only thing you can do with the rest of your life, is to sacrifice it earlier than necessary to ensure the safety of others… To prepare yourself to rush a cockpit and force the plane to the ground… I came to tears reading about it. I think we forget what happened that day. I know I do. Of course, I never literally forget it, but I forget the humility that it once brought us.
Closest Supercharger Somerset PA
1030 N Center Ave, Somerset, PA 15501
Flight 93 Memorial
6424 Lincoln Hwy #30, Stoystown, PA 15563
