Flight 93 Memorial

After we left our 5 hour car tour of Gettysburg, we drove 2 1/2 hours northwest to the Flight 93 Memorial.  We had pondered not going here since we took so long at Gettysburg but we ultimately decided that since we were this close - we should go.  

The road Siri took us on went over & around mountains & were mostly secondary roads (no interstate, people.)  Surely you know that the passengers of Flight 93 brought the plane down in a rural field...& that's all it is people, a field in the middle of nowhere.

We got there after the visitor center had closed so we weren't able to go inside, but the path starts toward the top of of hill...

The black path follows the path of Flight 93 that fateful day...

As you walk there are markers for each plane that was hijacked when they hit the World Trade Centers & the Pentagon.

When you pass the visitor center to continue on the path, at the end there is a clear glass wall that says, 'A common field one day.  A field of honor forever.'

I had a hard time getting people to get out of my way to take a pic.  That's not me in the reflection, people...  Through this clear glass if you look under the 2nd word 'field' you can see a bit of white... that's where the black path picks up again & close to the location the plane crashed.  

To the left you see the memorial plaza & there's another black path connecting it to the right side where you see the white markers.

The sign mounted here says:

 'Looking out across these fields, your gaze follows the path of United Airlines Flight 93 in its final moments.  Traveling approximately 563 miles per hour, Flight 93 crashed near the tree line before you in the distance.  A large sandstone boulder marks the approximate location.

A 40-acre debris field remains fenced today, following the perimeter of the crash site and debris field as marked by the FBI during its investigation in 2001.  During the investigation, heavy equipment was used to excavate the crater to recover debris & evidence.  The area was backfilled in October 2001 and seeded with grass & wildflowers to respect the final resting place of the passengers & crew.

Today, family members may visit the crash site any time they desire to do so.  The area is closed to the public.  You may walk along the perimeter of the crash site and debris field during a visit to the Memorial Plaza.'

As you drive down to the plaza they have planted 40 groves w/ 40 trees in each to represent the 40 victims on Flight 93.

Once you arrive to the crash site it's a somber feeling.  It is very quiet of course because you're in the middle of nowhere, but also because you know what occurred here.  

For those of you that remember September 11th, the days after & the media coverage of that day over the last 15 years I'm sure you've seen many of the same images over & over & over.  I was shocked to see this image that I had never seen before.  The man that took this pic was about a mile away when he heard the crash & saw a huge fireball go up into the air.

As you continue to walk down the black path (it's black to represent the horrific events that happened here) there are several places to stop & sit.  There are also little number stations where you can download an app & key in the number & it will tell you information about the Memorial.  There were also several places carved out in the wall on the left for you to leave mementos. 

This is the boulder that serves as a simple marker 'near' where the plane hit the earth.

As you near the end of the black path there is a marble wall.

It's an 'accordion' style wall with each persons name engraved on it.  At the end of the wall you can see a wooden fence...

When you look through the fence you can see a mowed path to the boulder.

This is where the family members can go out into the field anytime they choose.

Again it was very quiet here.  We saw small tokens of remembrance like flowers or stuffed animals at the base of some of the marble pillars.

From this angle when you look toward the top of the picture you can see the observation deck we had been on that had the clear glass wall overlooking the crash site.

Inside the memorial plaza were small pieces of paper you could write messages on.

I found several written by children & I must tell you - it breaks your heart even after all these years... These kids probably weren't even alive in 2001 yet they left a small note of gratitude to the Flight 93 victims.  If that doesn't make you teary eyed you are a robot inside...

In the end we are SO glad we stopped here before driving 7 1/2 hours home.  It was a really neat thing to see & read about even though we all have heard the story a million times.  We read that this crash site provided the most evidence to the FBI the days surrounding September 11th.  They quit finding evidence & remains of the victims after digging down 30'.  They dug down another 10' to make sure there was nothing else to be found.  The coroner declared it the final resting place of the victims & ordered it to be filled in.  

I always have to end on a funny note - I have told you this was the day we were in my car for 18 hours... after we left this memorial we drove home & got there around 2:30 am.  NOW-I love B-rad & I love my car (not necessarily in that order) but I love neither of those things enough to be with them 18 hours STRAIGHT.

Since we got back from our trip we've spent every weekend together at the lake on the houseboat. I'm happy to report that now B-rad will start getting ready for harvest so for now the divorce is on hold because I will have my quiet time (& he will have his from me - it works both ways people...).