Flight 93 visitor's guide - layout and design by April Shaffer

FLIGHT 93NATIONAL MEMORIAL VISITORS GUIDE
A place to remember, revere and reflect
J E R R Y S PA N G L E R

2 FLIGHT 93 VISITOR’S GUIDE
C O N T E N T S
3 PREFACE
4 THE HEROES OF FLIGHT 93
15 THE PLANES OPERATION
16 THE SEPTEMBER 11 HIJACKINGS
21 RECOVERY AND INVESTIGATION
25 SEPTEMBER 2001 MEMORIAL SERVICES
28 THE DECISION TO MEMORIALIZE
33 DESIGN COMPETITION
36 THE MEMORIAL DESIGN
45 DEDICATION
49 CONCLUSION
51 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
© Valencia McClatchey
The Daily American, Somerset, PA, partnered with Jerry Spangler, who was active
in the planning of the Memorial,for the publication of this book. The photographs
in this guide were taken by the DailyAmerican, the Associated Press,the National
Park Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jerry Spangler, Charles Wagner,
James Bee,the Pennsylvania State Police and Gail Kemerer. “The End of Serenity”a
copyrighted photograph byValencia McClatchey is published with her permission
as are the copyrighted remarks of architect Paul Murdoch. Reproduction of the
copyrighted materials in this publication without the express permission of the
photographer or writer is prohibited by law.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama
place a wreath at the Flight 93 National Memorial during
the 10th anniversary observance of Sept.11,2011.

3FLIGHT 93 VISITOR’S GUIDE
P R E F A C E
uesday,Sept.11,2001,dawned as a beautiful,late-summer day,with cloud-
less blue skies and refreshing, warm weather. In New York City, the first day
of school and a primary election made many workers arrive later than usual
for work. In Washington, both chambers of Congress were in session. At the
Pentagon, 20,000 military and civilian employees gathered to start another
workday. It seemed like the beginning of just another ordinary day.
September 11—A Day of Horror and Heroes
The tranquility of that day was soon
shattered by the deadliest terrorist attack
in world history and the most devastating
foreign attack on the United States since
the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Terror-
ist hijackers seized command of four com-
mercial airliners intending to use them as
flying bombs to attack and destroy iconic
targets—symbols of American commerce,
military and government. Three of the four
planes hit their intended targets, the twin
towers of the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon. But the terrorists on the fourth
plane, United Airlines Flight 93, were
thwarted in their efforts to destroytheir tar-
get, believed to be the US Capitol, because
of the heroic efforts of the 40 passengers
and crew on that flight. The tragedies of
Sept. 11 were horrific, but they would have
been much worse if it were not for their
heroic intervention. Almost 3,000 innocent
lives were taken that day. But imagine how
much more tragic it would have been had
the fourth plane hit its target, our Capitol,
the symbol of American representative de-
mocracy, reducing it to a shattered dome
and a smoldering, smashed ruin and killing
potentially hundreds of additional innocent
victims.
The heroism — the courage, self-
lessness and sacrifice of the crew and
passengers of Flight 93 was immediately
recognized. Americans made our first stand
against terrorism in the skies over western
Pennsylvania. While they did not succeed
in regaining control of the airplane,theydid
thwart an attack on the center of our gov-
ernment. And they did it as citizen-volun-
teers. Their fight for freedom inspired the
nation and the world, and restored a sense
of hope on what could otherwise have been
a day of unremitting tragedy. They seized
the initiative from our adversaries and
changed the momentum of events on that
terrible day. Their stories will never by fully
known, but we do know enough to recog-
nize that honor is due them. Their heroism
and sacrifice is now part of the fabric of our
nation’s memory. The crash site, the final
resting place of these heroes, is a place of
honor.
From the beginning, this has been a
people’s memorial. This site was a center
for personal grief, national gratitude and
international significance. As soon as the
investigation was completed, pilgrims
swarmed to the site to pay their respects,
reflect on the events of the day, share their
stories, and leave tributes. Families of the
passengers and crew deserved a place of
quiet contemplation at the final resting
place of their loved ones. A nation needed
a way to express its gratitude.
The people of the United States,
through their elected representatives and
leaders, determined that there should be a
national memorial at the crash site. It was
no easy task bringing a permanent memo-
rial to fruition. While traditionally it takes
decades to even decide if a national memo-
rial is appropriate,the decision to designate
the crash site a memorial was made a year
after the tragedy.
The process of planning and building
the memorial involved an unprecedented
collaboration of local residents, friends
and family members of the passengers and
crew, talented individuals from across the
country, the National Park Service and the
National Park Foundation. The permanent
memorial proves that dedicated and talent-
ed people committed to the arts of democ-
racy—inclusiveness, creative imagination,
and a commitment to developing consen-
sus—can accomplish remarkable results.
As someone who was present from the
beginning, I am honored to tell the story of
how this striking, evocative and beautiful
Memorial came to be. One of the earliest
tasks we took on was to define what we
wanted to achieve by working together to
write a mission statement. The preamble
to that statement best summarized our in-
tention:
A common field one day,
a field of honor forever.
May all who visit this place
Remember the collective acts of courage
and sacrifice of the passengers and crew,
Revere this hallowed ground as the final
resting place of those heroes,and
Reflect on the power of individuals who
chose to make a difference.
Jerry Spangler was District Attorney of Som-
erset County, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001. He
grew up on a farm in surrounding Stonycreek
Township. He was involved with the planning
of the memorial from its earliest stages. He
served on the Flight 93 National Memorial Fed-
eral Advisory Commission from 2003-2013, as a
member of the Flight 93 National Memorial Task
Force from 2003-2010 and as its co-chair from
2008-2010. He was an original incorporator and
first president of the board of directors of the
Friends of the Flight 93 National Memorial.
JERRY SPANGLER

THE HEROES OF
FLIGHT 93
©Valencia McClatchey
photographed the plume of smoke
rising from the crash of Flight 93
in this copyrighted photograph
entitled,“End of Serenity.”

Flight 93 Passengers and Crew
Captain Jason M.Dahl
Age: 43
Hometown: Littleton,Colorado
Occupation: Pilot,United Airlines
United Airlines Captain Jason M. Dahl, 43, rearranged his Sept. 11 flight schedule so he could take his wife to
London for their upcoming fifth wedding anniversary. When he boarded Flight 93 that morning he carried with
him, as always, a small box of rocks, a long-ago gift from his son. After 16 years with United, Dahl was a Stan-
dards Captain,training and evaluating pilots,in addition to flying assigned trips. Dahl joined the Civil Air Patrol
in his native San Jose, California at age 13, and flew solo three years later. He graduated from San Jose State
University in 1980 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. In September 2001, Jason was living in Littleton,
Colorado with his wife and teenage son.
First Officer LeRoy Homer
Age: 36
Hometown: Marlton,New Jersey
Occupation: Pilot,United Airlines
Roy Homer, 36, the First Officer of Flight 93, grew up on Long Island, New York with a love of planes and flying,
earning his private pilot’s license at age 16. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1987, LeRoy
served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and later flew humanitarian missions to Somalia. His
career with United Airlines began in 1995 while he continued serving in the U.S.Air Force Reserves, achieving
the rank of Major.LeRoy and his wife settled in Marlton,New Jersey where their first child was born in 2000.
Lorraine G.Bay
Age: 58
Hometown: East Windsor,New Jersey
Occupation: Flight Attendant,United Airlines
Philadelphia native Lorraine G. Bay, 58, loved her job as a United Airlines flight attendant. For 37 years, Bay’s
twinkling smile and caring ways put passengers at ease. Although she was one of United’s most senior flight
attendants, Lorraine preferred to work in the Coach section. She mentored younger flight attendants and never
failed to remember her co-workers and family with special cards and unique gifts. Two of Bay’s colleagues
received cards postmarked Sept. 11, 2001, indicating that they were mailed that fateful morning. Bay and her
husband of 22 years made their home in East Windsor,New Jersey.
Sandy Waugh Bradshaw
Age: 38
Hometown: Greensboro,North Carolina
Thirty-eight year old Sandy Waugh Bradshaw, a native of Climax, North Carolina, always wanted to be a Flight
Attendant,the perfect career for someone who loved meeting people and traveling. After 11 years in the field,
she was now flying only two trips per month, allowing her time at home with her two toddlers, her teenage
stepdaughter, and her husband, a pilot for US Airways. When faced with the hijack situation on Sept. 11, Brad-
shaw called United Airlines to report the emergency and describe the terrorists. Then she called her husband in
their Greensboro, North Carolina home. He recalls Sandy saying that she and others on the plane were boiling
water to throw on the hijackers. As the call ended,she reported that everyone was running up to first class.
Photographs and information provided by National Park Service.(www.nps.gov/flni/learn/historyculture/upload/Biographies-Passenger-Crew.pdf)

Wanda Anita Green
Age: 49
Hometowns: Oakland,CA/Linden, New Jersey
Wanda Anita Green, 49, was a Flight Attendant with United Airlines for 29 years, fulfilling a dream of flying
and seeing the world. According to her mother,Wanda was one of the first African Americans flight attendants
with United Airlines. Wanda was a dedicated mother to her two children, a deacon in her church, and active in
her local community of Linden, New Jersey. She earned her real estate license and planned to open her own
real estate office after retiring from United.Wanda planned to visit her family in Oakland, California during her
layover following the Sept.11 flight to the West Coast.
CeeCee Ross Lyles
Age: 33
Hometown: Fort Pierce, Florida
Just nine months before Sept.11,2001,CeeCee Ross Lyles,33,was working as a police officer in her hometown of
Fort Pierce,Florida.After several years in law enforcement,she embarked on a new career as a Flight Attendant
in January 2001,fulfilling her childhood dream.She and her husband,also a police officer,had been married for
little more than a year, forming a family with four sons. During the hijacking of Flight 93, CeeCee phoned her
husband,reaching their answering machine. She told him,“I hope to be able to see your face again,baby.I love
you. Good-bye.” In a second call five minutes before the crash, the couple spoke and prayed together. Her hus-
band recalls that CeeCee told him, “Tell the boys I love them.We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!”
Deborah Jacobs Welsh
Age: 49
Hometown: New York City, New York
As the purser on Flight 93, Deborah Jacobs Welsh, 49, was assigned to First Class and was responsible for over-
seeing the flight attendants.With more than 25 years of experience with three airlines,she was well-qualified to
handle the role.The six-foot tall Welsh was raised in Philadelphia,the eldest of six children.She loved to travel
and embraced the cultures of the exotic places she visited. She cared deeply about animals, and was compas-
sionate and thoughtful, delivering leftover airline meals and warm winter clothing to homeless people in the
Manhattan neighborhood where she lived with her husband.
Christian Adams
Age: 37
Hometown: Biebelsheim,Rheinland-Pfalz,Germany
Occupation: Export Directory,German Wine Institute
Reason for travel: business
A Fulbright grant recipient and a well-regarded figure in the wine industry,Christian Adams,37,was en route to
San Francisco on Sept. 11 for an event promoting German wines. Holding degrees in viticulture, wine making,
and marketing from universities in Germany and from the University of California at Davis,Adams was responsi-
ble for worldwide promotion of his country’s wines for the German Wine Institute in Mainz,Germany. Acolleague
from the German Wine Information Bureau in New York recalled Adams’thoughtful,quiet manner and his depth
of knowledge of the wine business. Adams, a resident of Biebelsheim, Germany, is survived by his wife and two
children.

Todd M.Beamer
Age: 32
Hometowns: Cranbury, New Jersey
Occupation: Account Manager,Oracle Corporation
Todd M. Beamer, 32, an account manager for Oracle, a computer software company, left his Cranberry, New
Jersey home on Sept. 11 for a one-day business trip to San Francisco. Beamer was raised in the Chicago area
and graduated from Wheaton College and earned an MBA from DePaul University. Caught up in the hijacking
of Flight 93, Beamer tried to reach his wife by Airfone.When the call was not connected, Beamer dialed “0” and
reached an Airfone customer service representative who says that Beamer calmly provided critical information
about events on the plane and relayed messages for his pregnant wife and two children. At Beamer’s request,
the representative joined him in praying the Lord’s Prayer.At the end of his call, she says she heard him say to
others on the plane,“Are you ready? OK. Let’s roll.”
Alan Anthony Beaven
Age: 48
Hometown: Oakland,California
Occupation: Attorney with firm of Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt & Pucillo
Alan Anthony Beaven,48,practiced law in his native NewZealand,then in England,NewYork,and most recently,
California.After working as a prosecutor for ScotlandYard and as a securities and anti-trust attorney, Alan moved
to Oakland, California where he found his niche in environmental litigation. His passions were his family, his
spiritual journey,and protecting the Bay Area’s water quality,tirelessly prosecuting violators of the Clean Water
Act. On Sept.11, Alan was flying to California to handle one last case. Then he,his wife,and their young daugh-
ter planned to leave for a year’s stay in India where Alan would provide legal advice regarding that country’s
pollution and deforestation problems.Beaven is also survived by two sons.
Mark Bingham
Age: 31
Hometown: San Francisco,California
Occupation: owner of The Bingham Group
Mark Bingham,31,was establishing a new office on the East Coast for his California-based public relations firm,
The Bingham Group. The successful and adventuresome executive traveled frequently for both work and plea-
sure.A former rugby champion at the University of California,Berkeley,Bingham was a valued teammate on the
San Francisco Fog Rugby Football Club. On the morning of Sept. 11, Bingham overslept and nearly missed his
flight; he was the last passenger to board. During the hijacking, he phoned his mother reporting that his plane
had been hijacked and relaying his love for her.In addition to his mother,Bingham is survived by his father and
stepmother.
Deora Frances Bodley
Age: 20
Hometown: San Diego,California
Occupation: student at Santa Clara University,Santa Clara,CA
Reason for travel: visiting friends
At age 20,Deora Frances Bodley of San Diego,California was the youngest person aboard Flight 93.A junior at
Santa Clara University, Deora loved children and volunteered with many charity groups, including the Special
Olympics and the San Diego Zoo. She was a peer counselor to troubled teens and tutored in an afterschool
program. Deora was studying French and psychology,aspiring to become a child psychologist. Remembered as
independent and introspective, Deora loved her family and enjoyed reading and writing. On Sept. 11, she was
flying home after visiting friends in New Jersey. She is survived by her mother and a sister.

Marion R.Britton
Age: 53
Hometowns: Brooklyn,New York
Occupation: Assistant Regional Director,U.S.Census Bureau
It was Marion R. Britton’s knack for engaging strangers in conversation that launched her 21-year career with
the U.S. Census Bureau. As a census enumerator, she sometimes encountered families in need and returned
after-hours to deliver food and clothing to them. Colleagues and family remember Britton’s generosity, her
frankness, and her dedication to the Bureau. On Sept. 11, Britton, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, now the Assistant
Regional Director of the New York office, was flying with co-worker Waleska Martinez to attend a conference in
San Francisco.During the hijacking,Britton phoned a longtime friend and tearfully told him it felt like her plane
was turning and was going to crash. Marian is survived by a brother.
Thomas E.Burnett,Jr.
Age: 38
Hometown: Bloomington,Minnesota
Occupation: Chief Operating Officer,Thoratec Corporation
Thomas E.Burnett,Jr.,38,had spent most of the past six weeks traveling in his role as Chief Operating Officer of
Thoratec, a manufacturer of heart pumps for patients awaiting transplants.The Minnesota native was a gradu-
ate of the University of Minnesota and Pepperdine University. On Sept. 11, Burnett was returning home to San
Ramon, California where his wife and three children were waiting. Tom’s four phone calls to his wife from on
board hijacked Flight 93 provided vital information to the passengers and crew and reveal the plans they were
making to take back the plane. She recalls Tom saying,“We have to do something.We can’t wait for the author-
ities ....It’s up to us. I think we can do it.”
William Joseph Cashman
Age: 60
Hometown: West New York,New Jersey
Occupation: Ironworker
Reason for travel: hiking trip
William Joseph Cashman,60,of West New York,New Jersey,was traveling aboard Flight 93 with long-time friend
Patrick Joseph Driscoll to go hiking in Yosemite National Park. Cashman served as a paratrooper in the U.S.
Army 101st
Airborne Division, studied martial arts, and taught night school classes to apprentice ironworkers.
Cashman was proud of the fact that during his forty years with Ironworkers Local 46,he helped to construct the
WorldTrade Center. The tall,wirynative NewYorker loved spending time outdoors,and often hiked in parks near
his home,as well as out West. He is survived by his wife of 31 years.
Georgine Rose Corrigan
Age: 55
Hometown: Honolulu,Hawaii
Occupation: antique and jewelry dealer
Reason for travel: visit with brother,buying trip for business
While working as a bank teller in her native Ohio in 1976, Georgine Rose Corrigan had a chance meeting that
led to a job offer in Hawaii. Corrigan and her infant daughter re-located and made the island their home. Geor-
gine worked at dozens of different jobs, many relying on her artistic talent. She became a well-known antiques
and collectibles dealer,designed jewelry and developed a line of Christmas ornaments decorated with tropical
flowers. Friends said she was“crazy about roses,”a nod to her middle name. On Sept.11,Corrigan,55,was on her
way home from an East Coast buying trip and a visit with her brother in New Jersey.

Patricia Cushing
Age: 69
Hometowns: Bayonne,New Jersey
Occupation: retired Service Representative,New Jersey Bell Telephone
Reason for travel: vacation
Patricia Cushing, 69, was traveling aboard Flight 93 with her friend and sister-in-law, Jane Folger, to visit San
Francisco for the first time,a trip the two had been planning for months. Cushing raised five children in Bayonne,
New Jerseyand was widowed in 1988. The Maryland native retired after 20 years as a Service Representative for
New Jersey Bell Telephone. She held season tickets for The Metropolitan Opera in New York City, loved movies
and ballet, and played mahjong every week. Her family remembers that she never had a bad word to say and
remained upbeat no matter what the circumstances.
Joseph DeLuca
Age: 52
Hometown: Succasunna,New Jersey
Occupation: Business Systems Specialist,Pfizer Consumer Healthcare
Joseph DeLuca, 52, a lifelong resident of northern New Jersey, graduated from Jersey City State College and
worked at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare for 23 years,designing computer software systems. The Succasunna resi-
dent was devoted to his parents and is remembered for his sense of humor and caring ways. He was passionate
about sports car racing, edited a sports car newsletter, and loved driving his yellow Morgan roadster. DeLuca’s
alter ego was a car-racing feline, immortalized in his syndicated cartoon,“The Adventures of Raymond the Cat.”
DeLuca was aboard Flight 93 with his girlfriend, Linda Gronlund, traveling to the wine country of Napa Valley.
During the hijacking of their flight,Joe telephoned his father to say good-bye. He is survived by a sister.
Patrick Joseph Driscoll
Age: 70
Hometown: Manalapan,New Jersey
Occupation: retired Executive Director of Software Development, Bell Communications
Reason for travel: hiking trip
When Patrick Joseph Driscoll,70,reached the summit on a challenging hiking trail,he described it as a spiritual
experience. On Sept. 11, he and his long-time friend, William Cashman, were traveling to hike in Yosemite
National Park. The Manalapan, New Jersey resident was the son of Irish immigrants, grew up in Manhattan and
served four years aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer during the Korean War. He earned an engineering degree from
New York University and a Master’s degree in computer science from Rutgers University. Joe, as most people
called him,retired as the Executive Director of Software Development for Bell Communications. He and his wife
were married for 42 years and had four children.
Edward Porter Felt
Age: 41
Hometown: Matawan,New Jersey
Occupation: Computer Engineer and Technology Director,BEA Systems
Edward Porter Felt,41,of Matawan,New Jersey, was known as a problem solver in his job as a computer engineer
at BEA Systems, a software firm, and had been awarded two patents in the field of encryption technology. After
growing up in Clinton, New York, Felt graduated from Colgate University and received a master’s degree from
Cornell University. Ed loved the outdoors and spending time with his wife and two children. En route to San
Francisco on a last-minute business trip on Sept. 11, Felt’s response to the hijacking was to place a call on his
cell phone. Just five minutes before the crash, he dialed 911, reporting,“Hijacking in progress!” and identified
himself and his flight.

Jane C.Folger
Age: 73
Hometowns: Bayonne,New Jersey
Occupation: retired Bank Officer,Commercial Trust
Jane C. Folger, 73, a retired bank officer, was traveling on Flight 93 with her sister-in-law and friend, Patricia
Cushing, for a long-anticipated site seeing trip to San Francisco. The two women lived just blocks from each
other in Bayonne,New Jersey and often took day trips together. Strong and resilient,Folger raised six children,
then lost a son in the Vietnam War and another son to AIDS. She experienced a painful divorce, but remained
active and independent. As a lifelong resident of Bayonne, New Jersey, Jane knew and loved New York City,
traveling there weekly and introducing her six grandchildren to her favorite stores, theaters, museums, and
cultural events.
Colleen L.Fraser
Age: 51
Hometown: Elizabeth,New Jersey
Occupation: Executive Director,Progressive Center for Independent Living
Reason for travel: attending conference
Colleen L. Fraser, 51,was a nationally-known advocate for the disabled. A native of Elizabeth, New Jersey and a
graduate of Rutgers University,Colleen helped draft the“Americans with Disabilities Act.” She carried a tiny copy
of the Constitution with her to encourage the disabled to become their own advocates. At just 4’6”tall,Colleen
herself relied on a cane and a mobility scooter. On Sept. 11, Colleen was flying to a grant-writing seminar in
Reno,Nevada,hoping to become more effective as Executive Director of the Progressive Center for Independent
Living. She also served as Vice Chair of the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council. She is survived by
a sister.
Andrew (Sonny) Garcia
Age: 62
Hometown: Portola Valley,California
Occupation: Owner of Cinco Group,Inc.
On Sept.11,2001 Dorothy Garcia says she heard her husband,Andrew,utter just one word before his telephone
call from Flight 93 was disconnected: “Dorothy.” Andrew (Sonny) Garcia,62,a practical joker nicknamed “Sonny,”
savored family life and exuded a deep sense of spirituality and concern for others. Garcia grew up in Sunnyvale,
California, and graduated from San Jose State University. He was married for 32 years, lived in Portola Valley,
California,and had three children. Aformer air traffic controller with the CaliforniaAir National Guard and briefly,
a purchasing manager for United Airlines,Andy ran an industrial products supply business,Cinco Group,with his
wife. Though he never earned a pilot’s license, he was fascinated with aviation and airplanes. On Sept. 11, he
was returning home from a meeting in New Jersey.
Jeremy Logan Glick
Age: 31
Hometown: Hewitt,New Jersey
Occupation: Sales Manager,Vividence,Inc.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Jeremy Logan Glick, 31, reluctantly left his Hewitt, New Jersey home on business as a sales
manager with Vividence,Inc.,a Web management company. He relished every moment he had at home with his
wife and their 3-month-old baby. One of six siblings raised in Oradell, New Jersey, Jeremy graduated from the
University of Rochester and married his high school sweetheart. When confronted with the hijack situation on
Flight 93,Glick phoned his wife. She recalls him calmlydescribing the terrorists and their threats. Glick,a former
national collegiate judo champion and black belt, told his wife that plans were being made by the passengers
and crew to rush the terrorists. As their call ended,Glick told his wife he loved her and needed her to be happy.

Kristin Osterholm White Gould
Age: 65
Hometowns: New York City,New York
Occupation: Medical Journalist
Reason for travel: visiting friends
Kristin Osterholm White Gould,65,was a freelance medical journalist and published author who loved to travel
to historical and cultural sites. She was an intellectual with a creative spirit and wide range of interests,includ-
ing literature,drama,and writing. Anative of Port Washington,NewYorkand a graduate of Cornell University, she
was fluent in several languages, including Latin and ancient Greek. Her brownstone on New York’s Upper West
Side was filled with books. Kristin was a patron of the arts and especially enjoyed live performance. Gould was
in the midst of writing a book about the medical and scientific contributions of Ivy League university graduates.
She boarded Flight 93 to visit friends in California. Gould is survived by a daughter.
Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas and Unborn Child
Age: 38
Hometown: San Rafael,California
Occupation: Advertising Sales Consultant,Good Housekeeping Magazine
Reason for travel: returning home from grandmother’s memorial service
On Sept. 11, Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas,38, was returning from her grandmother’s funeral in New Jersey to her
home in San Rafael, California. Raised in Houston,Texas, the University of Texas graduate had 15 years of mar-
keting and sales experience,and most recently was an Account Executive at Good Housekeeping magazine. She
and her husband were expecting their first child. Lauren also was writing a book intended to inspire women.
When she called her husband from on-board the plane, she left a message saying there was a problem on the
flight. She conveyed her love for him and asked him to tell her family that she loved them,too. Lauren’s sisters
were able to complete and publish her book,You Can Do It: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls.
Donald Freeman Greene
Age: 52
Hometown: Greenwich,Connecticut
Occupation: Executive Vice President,Safe Flight Instrument Corporation
Reason for travel: hiking and biking trip
A licensed pilot who had learned to fly at age 14, Donald Freeman Greene, 52, of Greenwich, Connecticut, was
headed to Lake Tahoe on Sept. 11 to join his brothers on a hiking and biking trip. Greene was the Executive
Vice President and a partner with his adoptive father in SafeFlight Instrument Corporation, manufacturer of
products used in thousands of aircraft worldwide. Don loved flying, sailing, and spending time with his family.
Raised in White Plains, New York, Greene held an engineering degree from Brown University and an MBA from
Pace University.He is survived by his wife and two children.
Linda Gronlund
Age: 46
Hometown: Greenwood Lake,New York
Occupation: Manager of Environmental Compliance,BMW North America
Reason for travel: business and vacation
Linda Gronlund,46,of Greenwood Lake,NewYork,was an attorneyand engineer for BMW NorthAmerica working
as manager of environmental compliance. Linda was a skilled mechanic with a passion for sports car racing.
She was also an accomplished sailor,a certified Emergency Medical Technician,and held a brown belt in Karate.
She attended Southampton College of Long Island University and American University’s law school. On Sept. 11,
Linda was traveling with her boyfriend, Joe DeLuca. She planned to attend a business meeting, then she and
Joe would celebrate her 47th birthday touring California’s wine country. When terrorists took over their plane,
Linda called her sister to express her love,give her the combination to her safe and say good-bye. Linda is also
survived by her parents.

Richard J.Guadagno
Age: 38
Hometowns: Eureka,CA/Trenton,New Jersey
Occupation: Project Manager,U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service
Reason for travel: returning from visit with family
Richard J.Guadagno,38,dedicated his life to protecting the environment. Growing up in Ewing,New Jersey,Rich
came to love animals and the outdoors, leading him to a career as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. After graduating from Rutgers University,he worked for 17years in refuges in New Jersey,Delaware,Or-
egon,and finally,Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Northern California where he was a Project Manager.
After celebrating his grandmother’s 100th birthday with family in New Jersey, Rich boarded Flight 93 to return
home. Guadagno’s badge and credentials, identifying him as a federally-trained law enforcement officer, were
recovered at the Flight 93 crash site and returned to his parents and sister.
Toshiya Kuge
Age: 20
Hometown: Osaka,Japan
Occupation: student at Waseda University,Tokyo,Japan
Toshiya Kuge, 20, of Osaka, Japan was an athlete and scholar who was determined to become proficient in
English and earn a Master’s degree in engineering from an American university. He loved American football
and was a linebacker in his first year of college at Waseda University where he was an engineering student. On
this two-week vacation trip, the friendly, outgoing college sophomore went whitewater rafting in the Canadian
Rockies,and visited Niagara Falls and the Statue of Liberty. This was his second visit to the United States. Kuge
was traveling alone in order to immerse himself in the English language. Flight 93 was the first leg of Kuge’s
journey home.He is survived by his parents and a brother.
Hilda Marcin
Age: 79
Hometown: Mount Olive,New Jersey
Occupation: retired Bookkeeper & Teacher’s Aide
Reason for travel: moving to live with daughter
After emigrating with her parents from Germany when she was 6 years old,Hilda Marcin,79,settled in Irvington,
New Jersey. She married Edward Marcin in 1943,and had two daughters. Marcin worked for 20 years as a Fund
Manager for a waiters’ and waitresses’ union in Newark, New Jersey. After moving to Mount Olive, New Jersey,
Hilda began a new career as an instructional aide for special needs children atTinc Road School in Flanders,New
Jersey. The energetic grandmother,widowed in 1979, loved to cook and entertain and is remembered as strong,
independent, and organized. The oldest passenger on the plane, Marcin was traveling aboard Flight 93 to live
with her daughter in California for the winter months.
Waleska Martinez
Age: 37
Hometown: Jersey City,New Jersey
Occupation: Automation Specialist,U.S.Census Bureau
Born in Puerto Rico,Waleska Martinez,37,of Jersey City, New Jersey, was the“backbone of the family,”according
to her father. With a business and computer science degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Martinez came
to the States in 1987 to advance her career, but maintained close ties to her family. In 13 years with the U.S.
Census Bureau she rose from ClerktoAutomation Specialist for the NewYorkRegion. On Sept. 11, Martinezwas
traveling with co-worker Marion Britton to attend a conference in San Francisco. Martinez loved to cook Italian
and Spanish foods for friends and family, played tennis and softball, and enjoyed concerts and dancing. She is
survived by her parents,a brother,and a sister.

Nicole Carol Miller
Age: 21
Hometowns: San Jose,California
Occupation: student at West Valley College,Saratoga,California
Family members of Nicole Carol Miller, 21, remember her endless energy and ambition. A dean’s list student at
West Valley College in Saratoga, California, she held a part-time waitress job, taught fitness classes at a gym in
her hometown of San Jose,and worked out daily. She planned to transfer to California State University at either
Chico or San Jose to complete her degree. Miller made an impulsive decision to fly to the East Coast to vacation
with a friend. The couple toured Manhattan landmarks and New Jerseyboardwalks and beaches before boarding
separate flights to return home. A thunderstorm on the evening of Sept. 10 forced Miller to re-schedule her
flight to the next morning. She is survived by her parents and stepparents and six siblings.
Louis J.Nacke,II
Age: 42
Hometown: New Hope,Pennsylvania
Occupation: Director of Distribution Center,Kay-bee Toys
Travel was not a routine part of the job for Louis J. Nacke II, 42, the director of a huge New Jersey distribution
center for Kay-Bee Toys. The one-day,last minute business trip on Sept.11 took him away from his new wife and
their home under construction in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Nacke was a weightlifter with a Superman tattoo
on his left arm who enjoyed fast cars and good wine, and loved his teenage sons from his previous marriage.
As a child, Nacke moved with his family many times, living in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, graduating
from high school in Philadelphia. “Joey,”as his family knew him,was a loving son and a tough,no-nonsense big
brother to his three siblings.
Donald Arthur Peterson
Age: 66
Hometown: Spring Lake,New Jersey
Occupation: retired President,Continental Electric Company
Jean Hoadley Peterson
Age: 55
Hometown: Spring Lake,New Jersey
Occupation: retired Registered Nurse
On Sept.11,Donald Arthur and Jean Hoadley Peterson were traveling to Yosemite National Park in California for
a vacation with Jean’s brother and parents. When they arrived at the Newark airport early that morning, they
were offered the opportunity to take Flight 93 instead of their scheduled, later flight. Don, 66, was the retired
President of Continental Electric Company in New Jersey, while his wife, Jean, 55, had worked as a Registered
Nurse and nursing instructor, and was a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician. Their retirement years were
spent in volunteerism and crisis counseling.Don worked with men struggling with drug and alcohol dependency;
Jean counseled women in crisis pregnancies. Theymentored and supported manyin their church and community
of Spring Lake,New Jersey. Don grew up in South Orange,New Jersey,had an electrical engineering degree from
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned an MBA from Rutgers University. In addition to her nursing
degree from the University of Rochester, Jean held a Master’s Degree in Education from Columbia University.
When the Petersons married in 1984, each had three children from a previous marriage. Don’s personal Bible
was recovered at the Flight 93 crash site,complete with a handwritten list of men for whom he was praying.

Mark David Rothenberg
Age: 52
Hometowns: Scotch Plains,New Jersey
Occupation: owner of MDR Global Resources
Mark David Rothenberg, 52, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was an intense, successful businessman accustomed
to frequent flights to Asia for his importing business, MDR Global Resources. He always flew First Class and
enjoyed conversing with people on the long international flights. He had an amazing memory for numbers and
a mind like a calculator. Rothenberg was raised in Brooklyn, New York and graduated in 1970 from Franklin
&Marshall College. Mark,or“Mickey,”as he was known to friends and family,had previously worked in the family
glassware business,becoming the top salesman and eventual owner.Though he worked long hours,Rothenberg
was devoted to his wife and two children. On Sept.11,Rothenberg was traveling to Taiwan.
Christine Ann Snyder
Age: 32
Hometown: Kailua,Hawaii
Occupation: Arborist and Project Manager,The Outdoor Circle
Reason for travel: attending a conference
Hawaii native, Christine Ann Snyder, 32, was a Project Manager and certified Arborist for The Outdoor Circle,
Hawaii’s oldest nonprofit environmental group. According to her family, the beautification of Hawaii was her
profession, pride, and joy. During her six years with The Outdoor Circle, Chris supervised volunteers in planting
trees and worked to protect trees and landscapes from development. She held a degree in political science
from the University of Hawaii. On Sept. 11 she was returning from the National Urban Forestry Conference in
Washington,D.C.and an impromptu,first-time visit to New York City. A connecting flight in San Francisco would
have taken Snyder home to Kailua,Hawaii and her husband of just three months.
John Talignani
Age: 74
Hometown: Staten Island,New York
Occupation: retired Bartender
Reason for travel: attending stepson’s memorial service
As a bartender and steward at Manhattan’s Palm restaurants for 20 years, John Talignani, 74, met a fair share of
celebrities.But the World War II Army veteran was down-to-earth,a family man dedicated to his late wife,Selma,
and her three sons whom he helped to raise. John was born in Italy,grew up in Brooklyn,New York. In
his retirement, Talignani, now of Staten Island, loved following the New York Mets baseball team and making
pizza for family gatherings,a holdover from his days of owning a pizzeria. The end of Talignani’s life was doubly
tragic: John, and his stepsons boarded separate flights to California to attend a memorial service for John’s
stepson and their brother who had been killed in an automobile accident while honeymooning in California.
Honor Elizabeth Wainio
Age: 27
Hometown: Baltimore,Maryland
Occupation: District Manager,Discovery Channel Stores
Two days before Sept.11,Honor Elizabeth Wainio,27,returned from a long-awaited trip to Europe. Now,the Ca-
tonsville,Maryland native was on her way to San Francisco for a company-wide business meeting for Discovery
Channel Stores. After graduating from Towson University, “Lizz”, as her friends called her, found her niche in
retail, quickly rising from sales positions to management. After joining Discovery’s retail division in 1999, she
became a top-performing manager and was promoted to District Manager for New York and New Jersey. During
the hijacking of Flight 93,Wainio phoned her stepmother who recalls her words,“They’re getting ready to break
into the cockpit.I have to go. I love you. Good-bye.” Elizabeth is survived by parents,stepparents,a brother,and
a sister.

In 1996, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed [KSM]
met with Bin Laden and proposed hijacking
commercial airliners and flying them into sym-
bolic targets. At that time,Bin Laden was more
parochial in his concerns,desiring to overthrow
a regional government before taking on the
greater enemy, the West. He rejected the pro-
posal. Over time, it became clear that it would
be difficult to act in the authoritarian countries
of Egypt or Saudi Arabia. He then developed a
desire to strike at what he saw as the “head of
the snake,”the United States.
In 1998, Bin Laden and other Islamist ex-
treme leaders issued a fatwa (a religious edict)
which concluded by giving “all Muslims the
following judgment: The judgment to kill and
fight Americans and their allies, whether civil-
ians or military, is an obligation for every Mus-
lim who is able to do so in any country.”
On Aug. 7, 1998, Al Qaeda sent suicide
bombers to two U.S. embassies in Africa. The
attacks on the embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and
Dar es Salaam,Tanzania killed hundreds and in-
jured thousands. Emboldened by the successful
attack, in March or April 1999, Bin Laden con-
tacted KSM and authorized the planes opera-
tion. The original plan called for hijacking 10
planes. That was scaled back to four planes.
According to The 9/11 Commission Report,
the plan was for a team of five to hijack the
planes. Four hijackers—the “muscle” hijack-
ers—would storm the cockpit and control the
passengers. The fifth hijacker would pilot the
plane. At that time, it was a common practice
that when the plane reached cruising elevation,
the “fasten seatbelts” sign would be turned off
and the pilot would open the door to the cock-
pit. The plan called for the muscle hijackers to
storm the cockpit as soon as the door opened
and for the terrorist pilot to take control of fly-
ing the plane.
In late 1999, the arrival at the terrorist
camp in Afghanistan of several jihadist recruits
who had come from Hamburg, Germany greatly
advanced the plan. These recruits spoke some
English, had engineering or technical training
backgrounds, had experience living in Western
cultures and were from countries that would en-
able them to get travel visas easily. Eventually
three of the pilots came from these recruits. A
fourth pilot had already received pilot training
in the United States.
On Oct. 12, 2000, Al Qaeda members deto-
nated a bomb alongside the U.S.Navy destroyer,
the USS Cole,killing 17crew members and caus-
ing $250 million in damages.The United States
did not respond to this attack.
By January, 2001, the three other pilots had
completed their training. Some of the other
hijackers, the “muscle,” had already been in the
U.S. but the remainder arrived by June. The pi-
lots took cross country flights and determined
that they could successfully bring box cutters on
board and studied the layout and procedures in
the first class section near the cockpit.
Two of the pilots rented small planes and
flew the “Hudson corridor,” a low-altitude route
along the Hudson River that paralleled the New
York City skyline, including the World Trade
Center. In late August, they purchased tickets
for Sept. 11 after the leader had confirmed that
Congress would be in session the second week
in September.
Three of the four teams of hijackers had
their full complement of hijackers. The fourth
team, the one assigned to hijack Flight 93, only
had four members.It is believed that the fifth hi-
jacker was not permitted to enter the U.S. when
he arrived in Orlando on Aug.4.
There were ongoing discussions regarding
the targets of the attack. There was unanimous
agreement that two of the planes would target
the twin towers of the World Trade Center and a
third plane would hit the Pentagon. Bin Laden
favored theWhite House as the fourth target,but
KSM and the hijacker leader favored the Capitol.
The White House is not as tall a building and not
as exposed a target as the Capitol sitting on top
of Capitol Hill. The Capitol was an easier target.
The hijackers gathered near the airports
from where they were to depart. A list of final
instructions,“the Last Night Document,” directed
how they were to prepare for the start of the day
of terror they were about to start.
THE ‘PLANES OPERATION’
l Qaeda is a militant, Sunni, Islamist organization founded in 1988 by Osama Bin
Laden and other Islamists who had fought a jihad, a “holy war”against the Soviet
invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Following the withdrawal
of Soviet troops, Al Qaeda turned its attention to what it considered corrupt
Middle Eastern governments.

THE SEPTEMBER 11
HIJACKINGS

S E P T E M B E R 1 1 T I M E L I N E
7:59 a.m. American Airlines (AA) Flight 11 departs Boston for Los Angeles
8:00 United Airlines Flight (UAL) 93 scheduled for departure-delayed
due to air traffic delays
8:14 AA Flight 11 hijacked
8:14 United Airlines Flight 175 departs Boston for Los Angeles
8:20 American Airlines Flight 77 departs Washington DC for Los
Angeles
8:38 Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] alerts North American
Aerospace Defense Command [NORAD] of hijacking of AA Flight
11
8:42 UAL Flight 93 departs Newark for San Francisco
8:46 AA Flight 11 crashes into North Tower of World Trade Center
8:46 UAL Flight 175 hijacked
8:52 AA Flight 77 hijacked
9:03 UAL Flight 175 crashes into South Tower of World Trade Center
9:23 United Airlines notifies pilots“BEWARE COCKPIT INTRUSION.
TWO AIRCRAFT IN NY,HITTRADE CNTER BUILDS.”
9:25 FAA stops all flight take-offs
9:28 UAL Flight 93 hijacked
9:30 phone calls from passengers and crew of UAL Flight 93 start
9:37 AA Flight 77 crashes into Pentagon
9:41 UAL Flight 93 transponder turned off
9:42 FAA orders all aircraft to land at nearest airport
9:45 White House and Capitol ordered evacuated
9:48 Capitol ordered evacuated
9:57 UAL Flight 93 passenger revolt begins
9:59 South Tower of World Trade Center collapses
10:03 UAL Flight 93 crashes in Stonycreek Township,Somerset County,
Pennsylvania
10:28 North Tower of World Trade Center collapses
n 2001 there was a common
belief that domestic airliner hi-
jackings were a thing of the past.
No American airliner had been
hijacked for over a decade. This
attitude was reflected in the Amer-
ican Carrier Standard Safety Pro-
gram, a protocol for how to handle
hijackings. The standard protocol
assumed that in a hijacking,the air-
line pilots would remain in control
of the plane and that the intent of
the hijackers was to land the plane
and negotiate a release of the pas-
sengers and crew in exchange for
political or financial demands. Pi-
lots and flight attendants were
instructed to refrain from confron-
tation and to accommodate the hi-
jackers. The protocol assumed that
travel to the destination demanded
by the hijackers would mean that
time was not a factor — that there
would be sufficient time to negoti-
ate a peaceful resolution once the
plane was landed.
Metal detectors were in use at the time but
were only programed to be sensitive enough to
detect metal objects the size of a small hand-
gun. Based on their test surveillance flights, the
hijackers were aware that knives with less than
a four-inch blade could pass legally through the
checkpoint. They also knew the layout of the
first class section and there was regular access
to the cockpit by flight attendants.

Many of the safeguards in place were designed to
prevent explosives from being brought onboard. The
Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] developed a
Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System
[CAPPS] which identified passengers in need of addi-
tional screening. On Sept. 11, 10 of the 19 terrorists
were flagged by the system but the only consequence
was that their carry-on luggage was identified and sep-
arated and not loaded on the plane until the flagged
passengers had been seated on the plane.
American Airlines Flight 11 departed from Boston’s
Logan International Airport at 7:59 on AM a nonstop
flight to Los Angeles. It carried 76 passengers, nine
flight attendants, two pilots and five hijackers. About
15 minutes into the flight, the terrorists took control
of the plane. They stabbed two flight attendants and
a passenger. The hijackers sprayed some mace toward
the back of the plane. At 8:24 a.m., the plane made a
wide turn to the south. The hijacker pilot attempted to
make an announcement to the passengers but acciden-
tally made a radio broadcast.He inadvertently revealed
to authorities that the plane had been hijacked and
that there were more planes involved when he said,
“We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you’ll be
OK. We are returning to the airport.” At 8:46 a.m., the
plane crashed into 1 World Trade Center,the north tow-
er, blowing through floors 93-99, killing all 92 on the
plane and an unknown number on the ground. First
responders were dispatched almost immediately and
began to rescue individuals from the building.
United Airlines Flight 175 departed Boston’s Logan
International Airport on a nonstop flight to Las Angeles
at 8:14 a.m. with 49 passengers, 11 crew members and
five hijackers. About one half hour later,it was hijacked.
A passenger and a flight attendant called to report that
the plane had been hijacked, that an attendant had
been stabbed and both pilots had been killed.
Flight 175 approaches and crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

The hijackers’plans had worked flawlessly for the
first three hijackings. But no plan can foresee all vari-
ables. The Planes Operations called for the coordinat-
ed hijacking of planes in a short time-span. The four
flights were scheduled to depart within a 21-minute
time-frame and for the hijackings to take place about
15 minutes into each flight. At that point,the distance
to the target would be relatively short. The combina-
tion of the elements of surprise, the assumption that
the hijackers’ intentions would be to land the plane
and negotiate,and the relatively short travel time and
distance between when and where the planes were
hijacked and their targets gave the hijackers the up-
per hand in the early flights.
United Flight 93 pulled away from the gate at 8
a.m., but due to heavy traffic, it did not take off until
8:42 a.m. It departed on what was scheduled to be
a no-stop flight from Newark International Airport to
San Francisco with two pilots, five flight attendants,
thirty-three passengers and four terrorists. The hi-
jacking did not occur until 9:28 a.m., 46 minutes after
departure. The delay in departure and the delay in hi-
jacking disrupted the timing and allowed the passen-
gers and crew to find out the fate of the other planes
and to plan a counterattack.
What we know about what happened on Flight 93
comes primarily from FAA Air Traffic Control Center
data, the Cockpit Voice Recorder, the Flight Data Re-
corder and the phone calls made by passengers and
crew members of the flight. According to the FBI in-
vestigation, 37 phone calls were made by crew mem-
bers and passengers from the time of the hijacking
until the time of the crash. Many of the calls were
deeply personal but some provided information about
the hijacking and actions of the crew members and
passengers. We do not know all the details of what
took place on the plane and it is highly likely that
some passengers and crew members on the plane
who did not make phone calls were actively involved
with the counterattack on terrorists that took place
on the plane.
At 9:23 a.m., a United Airlines dispatcher sent a
text message warning the pilots of a possible cockpit
intrusion and reported that two planes had hit the
World Trade Center buildings. A few minutes later,the
hijacking occurred. At 9:28 a.m.,the plane plummeted
dramatically downward about 700 feet and the Cleve-
land air traffic controller heard one of the pilots yell,
“Mayday, mayday, get out of here.” At 9:32 a.m., an
unknown voice said,“Ladies and Gentlemen: Here the
captain, please sit down keep remaining sitting. We
have a bomb on board. So,sit.” At 9:35 a.m.,the plane
turned to a southeastern direction.
Several passengers called loved ones to report
that their plane had been hijacked. They quickly
learned that two other planes had hit the World Trade
Center and realized that their hijackers were on a sui-
cide mission. Jeremy Glick was told by his wife Liz
about the third plane hitting the Pentagon. He told
her that the passengers and crew were taking a vote
on whether to charge the hijackers. He said that three
guys as big as him were thinking about attacking the
guy with the bomb. Todd Beamer told GTE-Verizon
employee Lisa Jefferson that a few of the passengers
were getting together to jump the guy with the bomb.
Tom Burnett made several calls to his wife Deena.
When told of the third attack at the Pentagon, he
said, “We have to do something.” In his last call, he
told her of their intention to take back the plane. He
said that they had to act if the hijackers intended to
use the plane as another flying bomb and it was no
use waiting for authorities to intervene. “It’s up to
us.” He expressed confidence that they could do it and
said that he’d be home by dinner. Sandra Bradshaw
called her husband and said that they were going to
boil water and throw it on the hijackers. At 9:57 a.m.,
Ed Felt called 911 and spoke with a dispatcher from
Westmoreland County 911. He reported the hijacking,
giving emergency responders in the area their first
notice that a hijacked plane was overhead.
At 9:58 a.m.,the counterattack began. Honor Eliz-
abeth Wainio told her stepmother, “They’re getting
ready to break into the cockpit.” Sandra Bradshaw
told her husband, “Everyone’s running to first class.”
Todd Beamer ended his phone conversation, appar-
ently talking to those around him, by saying,“Are you
ready? OK. Let’s roll!”
The flight data recorder shows that the terrorist
pilot began rolling the plane side to side and pitch-
ing it up and down in order to attempt to keep the
passengers and crew off balance. The cockpit voice
recorder contains evidence of a violent struggle. At
10:03:11, the recording ends when Flight 93 crashes
in the Pennsylvania countryside.
According to the flight data recorder, Flight 93
was traveling at a speed of 563 miles per hour when
it slammed into the ground. During the last, desper-
ate seconds of the flight, the plane partially rolled
over and impacted the ground at a 40-degree angle.
The result was instantaneous death of everyone on
board and total destruction of the plane. The front of
the plane sheared off and disintegrated in a hemlock
grove. The rest of the plane burrowed in the ground
at the edge of a reclaimed strip mine. The 155-foot-
long,125-foot-wide plane collapsed upon itself like a
telescope and gouged a 30-foot-wide crater into the
ground. Most of the 5,500 gallons of fuel exploded
into a 75-foot-high fireball visible for miles around.

At 9:03 a.m., the FAA was told that the tape of radio messages from
American Airlines 11 had been deciphered and that it referred to the plu-
ral,“planes.” At about the same time, United Airlines Flight 175 flew over
lower Manhattan and slammed into World Trade Center Tower 2,the south
tower,blowing through floors 77-85,killing all on board and an unknown
number more on the ground. Additional first responders were dispatched.
At 8:20 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 departed from Dulles Inter-
national Airport on a nonstop flight to Los Angeles. It carried 53 passen-
gers,six crew members and five hijackers. The flight was uneventful until
8:54 a.m. when it changed directions. Several passengers were able to
call to report the hijacking. At 9:25 a.m., the FAA ordered that all flight
take-offs be stopped. At 9:37 a.m., United Airlines Flight 77 crashed into
the Pentagon, killing all 64 onboard and 125 on the ground including 55
military personnel and 70 civilian employees.
At 9:59, the South World Trade Center Tower collapsed in 10 sec-
onds, killing civilian and emergency personnel inside as well as a num-
ber of others – both first responders and civilians—on the streets and
in adjacent buildings. At 10:28 a.m. the North World Trade Center Tower
collapsed killing civilians and emergency responders. Civilian and first
responder deaths totaled 2,606 including 343 members of the New York
Fire Department, 37 members of the Port Authority Police Department
and 23 members of the New York Police Department.
Damage to Pentagon caused by crash of Flight 77.

RECOVERY
AND INVESTIGATION
lmost immediately after the crash, Somerset County Emergency Management
Agency (EMA) 911 started to receive calls about a commercial airliner crash near
Lambertsville. Local first responders heard and felt the crash and arrived at the
Shanksville Volunteer Fire Station at about the same time EMA sounded the fire
alarms. They arrived at the crash site expecting to see debris from a large plane
crash. Instead, they saw small pieces of debris, a smoldering crater and burning trees. It
looked like debris from a small plane.
Officers from the Somerset County barracks
of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) arrived
at 10:24 a.m. Somerset County Coroner Wallace
Miller arrived at about the same time. They
walked through the area and saw that some of
the debris was falling from the trees. Because
of the phone calls made by the passengers, they
were already aware that the plane had been hi-
jacked and the state police began to set up a
perimeter around the crash site to prevent con-
tamination of the crime scene. FBI agents were
on scene by late morning.
The crash site was the subject of multiple,si-
multaneous investigations. Under Pennsylvania
law, the county coroner is responsible for deter-
mining the cause and manner of death and is au-
thorized to secure and preserve the death scene.
The county EMA is responsible to coordinate re-
sources in response and recovery of man-made
emergencies such as plane crashes.The National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is responsi-
ble for investigating plane crashes. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible for
investigating federal crimes. Other agencies in-
volved in the investigation included the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Eventual-
ly, more than 1,000 individuals representing 70
federal, state and local agencies were creden-
tialed to have access to the site. Food and sup-
plies were provided by Somerset County EMA,
TheAmerican Red Cross,The SalvationArmy,and
local fire departments and volunteers.
These agencies worked collaboratively in
their joint efforts to recover and identify human
remains and evidence relevant to the investiga-
tion of the cause of the plane crash. The FBI led
efforts to investigate the incident.FBI agents re-
alized early on the Flight 93 crash site would be
key to the investigation. Unlike the other crash
sites, there was no building debris to destroy or
conceal the evidence.
Emergency crews respond to the crash of United Flight 93 on Sept.11,2001.

Pennsylvania Gov.Tom Ridge arrives at the crash site on the evening of Sept.11,2001,
for a briefing by emergency management and law enforcement officials.
Crash site Sept.11,2001

The search revealed passports from two of
the hijackers and a photo ID for a third.They re-
covered a check cashing card for one of the hi-
jackers, providing them a lead to investigate the
financing of the crime.They recovered 14 pieces
of knives. They also found a handwritten letter
in Arabic providing religious instruction and
encouragement for the night before the crime.
Similar letters were recovered in connection
with two of the other hijackings.
The investigation involved a thorough ex-
amination of the crash crater, the debris field
surrounding the crater and the hemlock grove. It
included an excavation of the crater to a diame-
ter of 85 feet. The soil was screened to filter out
dirt from the human remains, physical evidence,
personal effects,airplane debris and US mail. On
Thursday, Sept. 13, the Flight Data Recorder was
recovered from the excavation at a depth of 15
feet. The next day the Cockpit Voice Recorder
was recovered at a depth of 25 feet. None of the
flight data or cockpit voice recorders for the two
planes involved at the World Trade Center were
recovered.While both devices were recovered at
the Pentagon, only the flight data recorder was
usable. The Flight 93 site provided by far the
most evidence for the investigation.
The FBI brought in 150 Evidence Response
Team members to search the crater, the woods
and pond in the area. They were augmented by
members of the Pennsylvania State Police Re-
cords and Identification (R&I) crime scene pro-
cessing unit as well as investigators from ATF.
Meeting of officials including Somerset County EMA,Somerset County coroner,FBI and other agencies.
Additional views of the Flight 93 crash site.

The FBI concluded its investigation on Sept.24 announcing
that it had recovered 95 percent of the Boeing 757. Control of
the site was returned to the county coroner.
While the evidence recovery workers were searching for
physical evidence regarding the plane crash, they were also
recovering human remains and personal property of the pas-
sengers and crew. The coroner set up a temporary morgue at
the National Guard facility. He recruited assistance from the
Disaster Mortuary Operational Team (DMORT) in identifying the
remains.The coroner arranged for additional site searches. Be-
cause of the fireball and the high speed of the plane at impact,
only eight percent of the human remains were recoverable. By
the end of December 2001, remains for all 40 passengers and
crew members were identified either by fingerprints, dental re-
cords,DNA or a combination of those techniques.
FBI PHOTOGRAPHS OF FLIGHT 93
Cockpit voice recorder
Plane debris
Crash site from air showing impact crater, burned trees and hemlock grove Splintered and damaged trees in hemlock grove caused by plane debris

2001 MEMORIAL SERVICES
any families and loved ones of the crew members and passengers felt a need to
travel to the crash site. United Airlines and others made arrangements to transport
them to the area and house them at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. Somerset
County officials and local clergy planned an ecumenical prayer and memorial ser-
vice to be held at the Somerset County courthouse plaza on Friday, Sept. 14, 2001 to honor
the heroes of Flight 93 and their families. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was the featured
speaker. He spoke of the actions of the heroes,saying:
Our strength as a nation,economic or military,is not contained
in our buildings; bombing them will not weaken us.
Our nation’s liberty and freedom is not in a Statue or a Bell; even destroying these
landmarks would not make us less free.
These terrorists killed thousands of innocent men,women and children. We must never
forget that these innocents reflected the religious, ethnic and racial diversity that is
America.
…
“But having taken so much,the terrorists and their supporters achieved novictory. Their
mission has failed.
“They did not—and will not—destroy our spirit—they rekindled it.
“They did not—and will not—dampen our patriotism—they awoke it.
“They did not—and will not—drive us apart--We have come together.
“And they did not—and will not—take away our way of life. America must and will
continue to be America, the greatest symbol of freedom and tolerance and openness
and opportunity in the history of the world.
“As long as we remain Americans,they will never win!
“America is not a piece of ground or a place on a map. It’s not just a name. America is
an idea,a hope,a way of life.”

The following week, arrangements were
made for two family visits to the crash site to
be followed by memorial services. On Monday,
Sept. 17, six buses of family members left Seven
Springs. As they passed through the countryside
and through Somerset and Shanksville boroughs,
local and state law enforcement controlling traf-
fic stood at attention while they passed by. Local
residents displayed flags and memorial signs
and also stood at attention. As the buses entered
the crash site area, state troopers and recovery
workers lined up and stood at attention.
Recovery workers had created a straw bale
memorial that had been decorated with tributes
and tokens from site workers and family mem-
bers. Visitors added to the tributes over the next
few weeks. After a lengthy stay at the crash site,
the family members departed to attend a memo-
rial service at the Indian Lake golf course.
Last Tuesday, terror struck
America…. But the very first
victims of this attack were those
innocent and unseen souls in
the air, on the four airliners.
Including the passengers and
crew of United Flight 93.
“These were men and women
who were simply trying to get
to their jobs. Or going home
to reunite with their wives and
husbands and fiancés. They
were ordinary Americans faced
with an extraordinarychallenge.
And they met the challenge.
The victims of Flight 93
sacrificed themselves for
others—the ultimate sacrifice.”
Gov.Ridge again addressed the families,saying:
Pennsylvania State Police officers stand at attention at arrival of family members to the crash site.
Straw memorial at crash site where family members and recovery workers left tributes.
Family members at straw memorial overlooking crash site.

He then introduced First Lady Laura Bush. She spoke poignantly to the families:
Thishasbeenaweekoflossandheartacheofakindnoneofuscouldhaveimagined.
What happened in New York City,in Washington,and here in Pennsylvania,caused
deep suffering across the nation.
“We are still grieving as details become known—and especially as we learn the
names of the lost,the stories of their deaths,and the story of each life. All of us,as
Americans,share in the grief.
“The burden is greatest, however, for the families—like those of you who are with
us today. America is learning the names,but you know the people. And you are the
ones they thought of in the last moments of life. You are the ones they called,and
prayed to see again. You are the ones they loved.
“A poet wrote,‘Love knows not its own depth until the hour of parting.’
“The loved ones we remember today knew—even in those horrible moments—that
they were not truly alone,your love was with them.
“And I want you to know today that you are not alone. We cannot ease the pain,
but this country stands by you. We will always remember what happened that day
and to whom it happened.”
A second family visit to the crash site took place on Thursday, Sept. 20. Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President
Dick Cheney, spoke at the event. Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher spoke as a last minute substitute for
Gov. Ridge, who had been summoned to Washington, D.C. That evening, at a joint session of the U.S. Congress,
President Bush announced his appointment of Ridge as America’s first Homeland Security Director.
First lady Laura Bush,center,talks to the media flanked by Pennsylvania Gov.Tom Ridge,left,and first lady of Pennsylvania Michelle Ridge,right,following a memorial
service for the victims of United Flight 93 at Indian Lake Golf Club in Indian Lake on Sept. 17, 2001. Families of the victims visited the nearby site of the crash in
Shanksville before attending the memorial. AP Photo

THE DECISION TO
MEMORIALIZE
hen the FBI was conducting its crime scene investigation, several memorials to the he-
roes of Flight 93 sprung up around the crash site, at the media village nearby and in
Shanksville. When the investigation ended and the restrictions on access were lifted,vis-
itors started to arrive, by the dozens, then hundreds and eventually the thousands. Some
came to grieve, others to pay their respects and express sympathy, still others to pay tribute to the
heroes. But all came to share their stories.
Any time there is a public death, people share in the grief of
the moment but the public grief also triggers a private grief, a
reminder of our private losses and suffering. We share a common
grief,a connection of things that are lost.
But these visitors were motivated by more than grief. They
wanted to pay tribute to heroes. The heroes were the living em-
bodiment of universally recognized traits of good character:
COURAGE—Not the absence of fear but the capacity for ac-
tion despite our fears.
SELFLESSNESS AND SACRIFICE—recognition that there
is something greater than the individual and the willingness to
make sacrifices for the greater good.
INITIATIVE AND SELF-RELIANCE—the ability to act, to
not passively accept circumstances,and to act without waiting for
others to take the lead.
RESPONSIBILITY—the ability to respond to changing cir-
cumstances and to act with integrity in the moment of choice.
HOPE—The passengers and crew expected to be successful in
taking back the plane. Some of the passengers were very athletic,
and had experience in fighting and were much larger than the
terrorists. At least one passenger had experience in flying small
planes.They could see a path to success. They ended their phone
calls expecting to prevail.

Those character traits resonate with us all. We
are innately aware of their worthiness. That these
traits were demonstrated by people who acted to
change the tragic trajectoryof the course of events
made them heroes and worthy of honor.
As the weeks passed and winter approached,
the tributes began to weather and accumulate.On
Oct. 10, the county commissioners used that situ-
ation as a basis for meeting with local, state and
federal agencies, elected officials, United Airlines,
and federal,state and local historical preservation
agencies. Out of that meeting was born a consen-
sus that family members of the passengers and
crew of Flight 93, the community where the crash
occurred, and all individuals who are interested in
or affected by the event must have an opportunity
to be heard on how to memorialize this event.
On Nov. 2, a Temporary Memorial was estab-
lished on Skyline Drive overlooking the crash
site. The work was done by staff of the Historical
and Genealogical Society of Somerset County, the
Stonycreek Township supervisors and volunteers.
A chain-link fence was built for tributes. Forty
slate angels were created and tributes to the indi-
vidual passengers and crew were left there.

On Dec. 9, the county commissioners held a
community meeting at the Shanksville-Stonycreek
School. The purpose of the meeting was to reach
agreement to proceed with the formal planning pro-
cess to establish a permanent memorial. Congress-
man John Murtha had approached the National Park
Service (NPS) to offer advice,guidance and resources
in the discussions and NPS had arranged for three
speakers familiar with the planning process for the
Oklahoma City Memorial to attend and give presen-
tations. These speakers described a city-driven pro-
cess with a 350-member task force working on the
planning of the memorial. They had studied other
memorial processes and noted two problem areas:
(1) the potential that the processes are interfered
with by political or personality disputes, and (2) the
tendencyfor the process to be closed with little input
from the public. Recognizing that participating in
the planning process may help to soothe some of the
scars of the grieving family members, the planners
chose to democratize the planning process by having
a very open, inclusive, public-participatory process
that was oriented toward consensus-based decisions
made by a very diverse task force including family
members,survivors,rescuers,and a true cross-section
of the community. They emphasized that the focus
needs to be on patience,persistence and process.
On Jan. 18, 2002, the Somerset County Commis-
sioners sent a letter to Congressman Murtha re-
questing that he introduce legislation designating
the crash site as a National Memorial and request-
ing public participation in the planning process.
Murtha introduced a bill on March 7,2002,calling for
a national memorial at the site and providing for a
working task force and federal advisory commission.
Pennsylvania’s two senators, Arlen Specter and Rick
Santorum, introduced similar legislation in the Sen-
ate. The House bill passed on July 22 and the Senate
passed the bill on Sept. 10. President Bush signed it
into law on Sept.24,2002.
President George W. Bush signs the Flight 93 National Memorial bill, as Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., left, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., and Sen.Arlen Specter, R-Pa., watch
Sept.24,2002,in the Oval Office.The bill honors victims of the crash of hijacked United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania on Sept.11,2001. AP Photo

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was the commencement speaker at Shanksville-Stonycreek High School
on May 31,2002,and spoke for many when he said this:
I consider the site I just left hallowed ground, just as I do the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon. And it is really important that we memorialize it in the future.
People keep asking me,‘Well, what should happen at the site of the World Trade
Center?’ And I say the same thing about that that I would say about the site here
in Shanksville.
“A hundred years from now,people are going to come and want to see it. And they
are going to want to know what happened. They are going to want to know why
it happened. They are going to want to know about the horrible evil and terror
that was inflicted on people. And then they are going to want to know about the
even stronger reaction of the very, very brave people who confronted the terror
and turned what could have been one of the most horrid days in the history of the
country into what was probably one of our greatest days of heroism.
“People need to know these stories because they need to know their history. So
it is really important that we preserve a memorial and a monument. It would be a
shame if this generation did not live up to its obligation because people a hundred
years from now won’t forgive us for that.”

The federal law, P.L. 107-226, established
a 14-member Flight 93 Memorial Federal Ad-
visory Commission tasked with the duties of
determining the boundary for the memorial,
developing a general management plan for
it and selecting a memorial design within a
three-year period. The act also provided for the
creation of a task force to help the commission.
The Somerset County Commissioners acted as
a clearinghouse to accept applications and re-
cruit volunteers for the task force. They select-
ed Somerset County Common Pleas Judge Kim
R.Gibson,and LarryNatuzzi,father of passenger
Lauren Grandcolas to serve as co-chairs of the
task force. The 80-member task force adopted
the practice of co-chairs with family represen-
tation for all of its committees.
As part of the planning for the task force
development, NPS arranged for noted histori-
an, Dr. Edward Leventhal, to conduct a work-
shop for family members, local residents and
other task force members at the Oklahoma
City Memorial. Linenthal had recently written
a book, The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma
City in American History,about the planning of
the Oklahoma City Memorial,another memori-
al to victims of acts of terrorism. At the work-
shop,task force members met with local plan-
ners and organizers and with Hans and Torrey
Butzer, designers of that memorial. When
the Flight 93 Memorial site was described, to
them, Hans responded by saying any memorial
should “touch the ground gently.”
The various task force committees set
about to interview nominees for the federal
advisorycommission,discussing factors to con-
sider in selecting a boundary and developing
memorial ideas. Adopting the approach devel-
oped in Oklahoma City,the task force members
did not take on the memorial design task as
one of the first ones for consideration. Instead,
they conducted town meetings, workshops
with families and newsletter and online sur-
veys as to what visitors wanted to experience
at the memorial. This process helped soothe
some of the wounds of the family members
and helped to build trust and friendships be-
tween the local residents and the family mem-
bers. That work led to the drafting of a mission
statement,the DNA for the memorial. The mis-
sion statement proved to be an integral part
of both the general management plan and the
design competition.
The boundary committee considered sight
lines of the crash site and access from appro-
priate highways in determining the boundary
of the memorial. Preparation of materials for
the general management plan developed en-
vironmental information that was vital for the
design competition to develop designs that
were feasible for the site.
The Federal Advisory Commission was
sworn in on Sept.11,2003 and one of their first
responsibilities was to work with the task force
design competition committee to select the
memorial design.
Oklahoma City workshop participants led be Dr. Ed Linenthal (center front) meet with designers of that Memorial,
Hans and Torrey Blutzer (to Dr. Linenthal’s immediate right and left).

THE DESIGN COMPETITION
he Flight 93 Memorial design competition had to address a number of chal-
lenging landscape/environmental conditions and unique story interpretation is-
sues. The crash site was at the edge of a reclaimed strip mine. Large draglines had
scooped the soil and clay in the strip mine and loaded it onto trucks to be hauled
away. Any sandstone layers were blasted and the stone rubble was also hauled away.
As a reclaimed strip-mine, the site had environmental and support issues that would have
to be addressed.
The front part of the plane, including the cockpit, had broken off upon impact and had disintegrated as it passed into
a nearby wooded area, the “hemlock grove.” Four cabins were located in that grove. The fireball from the exploding fuel
set some of the trees near the crash site on fire. They were removed as part of the environmental cleanup after the crash.
Access to the crash site was via a narrow road. Visitors would travel up a hill on paved road for a short distance but
then the road became a shale road. As visitors crested the hill, they would encounter the edge of the bowl. The field of
view would open dramatically due to the open space of the bowl. The first view of the crash site took place at the crest of
the hill. The combination of emotional and sensory experiences caused many visitors to immediately recognize“the power
of this place.” Planners wanted to reflect the experience of visitors to the temporary memorial in the permanent memorial.

All agreed that the crash site—the final resting place
of the heroes--would be the focal point of the memorial.
But the Flight 93 Memorial design competition offered
several unique issues.
First, the actual struggle took place in the sky
above—the fight ended at the crash site. Unlike Civil
War battlefield memorials, there were no locations to
point out battle lines and strategies. Second, the crash
site was in a remote location, several miles from any
well-travelled highways. Siting the memorial feature in
such a remote location would, in the words of one NPS
official, be like putting “a hood ornament in the middle
of a field.”
To meet these challenges,planners developed an in-
novative approach to use the entire site as the Memorial.
Some of the planners had experience at Civil War sites
that had begun the practice of using the spaces between
skirmish and battle sites as part of the memorial inter-
pretation.
The planners developed five memorial features that
could be used in the design competition: the gateway,
the entry off of Route 30; the approach; the bowl; the
ridge; and the sacred ground. An informational guide for
design competitors stated:
In January,2005,the designs submitted for the Memorial were displayed and pub-
lic comments were solicited.
The designs submitted by the 1,011 competitors
were reviewed by the public.

The Memorial Design Selection committee retained the services of
the two individuals who had managed the design competition for the
Oklahoma City Memorial. They were committed to conducting an open,
consensus-based international design competition. The competition be-
gan with an announcement in September 2004. Registrants were pro-
vided planning materials and invited to participate in three scheduled
guided tours of the site. The competition received 1,011 submissions.
They were put on public display and comments were solicited, both in
person and on-line. The submissions then were reviewed by the Stage I
jury whose job was to select five finalists for further consideration. The
nine-member Stage I jury consisting of family members and design pro-
fessionals rigorously evaluated all entries. The jury discussed the merits
of the design concepts and challenged each other to find the entries that
best embodied the spirit of the mission statement and an understanding
of the landscape. From their deliberations over the course of a three-
day meeting, the jury selected five finalists. The Stage II finalists were
announced on Feb.4,2005.
The intent of Stage II was for the finalists to further refine their Stage
I design entries to a level that fully explained the spatial, material, and
symbolic attributes of their concepts for the National Memorial. Stage
II entries were submitted by June 15. They were also exhibited publicly
and comments were solicited. The 15-member Stage II jury consisted of
seven family members, three local residents and five design profession-
als. After three days of thoughtful and intense discussions, the design
submitted by Paul Murdoch Architects and Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape
Architects was recommended for selection.
Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial should be able to experience the
inherent poetry of the site and the power of the event.This experience should be
a continuous flow beginning with the approach through the Laurel Highlands, the
expansive landscape that surrounds the memorial site and the nearby small towns
and farms. Upon entering the site, visitors will traverse south through reclaimed
and natural landscapes, then arrive at viewpoints that reveal the crash site, and
finally journey through the Bowl to the Sacred Ground.There should be a seamless
flow of perception and information that ultimately focuses on the crash site and
the extraordinary acts of the passengers and crew of Flight 93.
Members of the Design Competition Committee included (left to right): Helene Fried, consultant, Jeff Reinbold,
NPS, Gina Farfour and Tim Baird, co-chairs, Don Statsny, consultant, Calvin Wilson, Federal Advisory Commission.

THE MEMORIAL
DESIGN
The winning design presentation submitted by Paul and Milena Murdoch
Timeless in simplicity and beauty,
Like its landscape, both stark and serene,
the Memorial should be quiet in reverence, yet powerful in form,
a place both solemn and uplifting.
It should instill pride, and humility.
The Memorial should offer intimate experience,
yet be heroic in scale.
Its strong framework should be open to natural change
and allow freedom of personal interpretation.
We want to restore life here,
to heal the land, and nourish our souls.
In this place, a scrap yard will become a gateway
and a strip mine will grow into a flowering meadow.
But more than restoring health,
the Memorial should be radiant,
in loving memory of the passengers and crew
who gave their lives on Flight 93.

here is a grammar to architecture,just as there is one for language. The way the elements
are put together gives structure and meaning to both. As in any memorial,there are three
basic elements —the story,the landscape and the memorial features.
The story of the heroes of Flight 93 resonated with people
from all over the world and was the basis of the decision to create
a Memorial at the crash site where those heroes gave their lives
for the greater good and what became their final resting place.
The landscape,the crash site,the flight path and the sky overhead
are the landscape features that link the site to the story.
The landscape has changed dramatically over the past sev-
eral hundred years and the different land uses over that time are
also reflected in the design. Native Americans and early settlers
encountered a dense forest of Appalachian hardwoods and ever-
greens here on the western slopes of the Allegheny Front. Set-
tlers cleared the land and small farms and villages were scattered
across the Laurel Highlands. The introduction of railroads after
the Civil War opened the area up to timbering and coal mining
operations. From the mid-1950s through 1995, strip and deep
mining operations took place on the site. After the strip mining
operations ceased,the mining pits were refilled and surface recla-
mation and revegetation took place. A metal recycling operation
was started at the site. The different land uses—from forests to
farming to industrial to post-industrial—are reflected in the Me-
morial Design.
The Mission Statement distilled the intentions of the public
and the planners to construct a memorial that allowed visitors
to remember, to revere and to reflect. The memorial features are
minimalist, peaceful and contemplative. The Visitor Center pres-
ents the story, but there is an intentional sequencing of visitor
experiences for personal reflection.
The planners intended a sequence of design and landscape
features,beginning with an approach. The visitor’s experience be-
gins with a turn-off from a busy highway onto an approach road.
The two and one half mile long approach road passes reforesta-
tion projects to reclaim the strip mine,landscapes and mining de-
bris,and rusting highway guiderails,all reminders of past land use.
The healing of the scarred mining landscape prepares the visitor
for the emotional healing of the Memorial. The slower speed
limit tends to refocus attention. Many describe the experience as
similar to being in a funeral procession. Visitors leave the outside
world behind them.

The design calls for a Tower of Voices, a 93-foot high tower with 40 alu-
minum wind chimes, one for each of the Heroes. At night, the tower be illu-
minated as a beacon. The tower will be sited on a planted raised mound in a
clearing surrounded by circling rings of white pine trees. The tower will be
clearly visible from the road and will mark the entrance to the Memorial and
is the first indication of the heroic scale of the design. As visitors travel along
the approach road,they can stop at two wayside stops to view signboards with
information on past landscape uses and information connecting the landscape
with events of Sept.11.
bioLINIA and Paul Murdoch Architects

The separation from the outside world is re-emphasized at
the Visitor Center. A black granite walkway follows the flight path
of the plane,with time markers listing the times of the crashes of
the three other hijacked planes. The flight path walkway bisects
two portal walls that separate the approach and parking lot from
the field of honor below. The wall slopes upward and is 33 feet
high at the plaza and 48 feet high at the western opening. The
flight path walkway extends beyond the walls and is elevated
about 15 feet above the sloping ground. Like the experience of
visitors to the temporary memorial when they crested a hill, the
ground falls away and the sky opens up above them. The flight
path walk aligns with the Wall of Names at the Plaza below. At
the end of the walk, a glass-covered opening is etched with the
preamble to the Mission Statement, “A common field one day, a
field of honor forever.” It gives the visitors their first look at the
field of honor and the crash site.

The crash site is located at the edge of a hemlock grove. Hemlock trees are native to the
region and were used for many purposes, including beams for local barns. To reflect both the
surrounding community’s ties to the land and the location of the crash site near a hemlock
grove, all the exposed concrete on the portal walls, the visitors shelter at the Memorial Plaza
and the Tower of Voices are textured with castings of hemlock barn beams. In addition, the
flight path walk,other sidewalks,the portal walls,other walls and the glass at theVisitor Center
contain a geometric pattern of vertical and diagonal lines depicting the trunk and branches of
hemlock trees.
The geometric pattern of vertical and diagonal lines depicts the trunk and
branches of the hemlock tree and is found throughout the Memorial.

A learning center is located along the flight path walk
outside the portal walls and will be used for temporary ex-
hibits and events. The Visitor Center is located between the
two portal walls. The barn beam castings are used on the
walls but are blackened to reflect the fires in the hemlock
groves following the crash. Five walls of exhibits describe
the events of the day and the aftermath. They lead to a
cantilevered window that faces the crash site and the field.
Sky lights help to provide light in the Visitor Center and
link the visitor to the sky above where the heroic struggle
took place.
Visitors do not have direct access to the crash site. As
they finish viewing the exhibits in the Visitors Center, they
can return to their cars and drive there or continue outside
and walk to the crash site. A 2.3 mile, tree-lined trail (the
Grand Allee) leads to the crash site from the Visitors Center.
It passes 40 groves, each with 40 native trees, each grove
for one of the heroes. It passes over a pedestrian bridge
through wetlands on its way to the Memorial Plaza.

The Visitor Shelter serves as a gateway from the parking area to Memorial Plaza along the crash site.
Again,there is separation from the outside world. As visitors pass through the shelter,the color of the sidewalk
changes to black. A four-foot high sloped black wall separates the walkway from the debris field which sur-
rounds the crash site.The wall contains niches for visitors to leave tributes. The hemlock geometric pattern
is used on the wall and walkway. Benches along the walkway are on concrete pads in a pattern similar to an
airplane wing. The walkway and wall change directions and the wall now separates the visitor from the crash
site. The area adjacent to the crash site is planted with native flowers wildflowers that bloom throughout the
spring, summer and fall. A sandstone boulder, a remnant from the mining operations, marks an approximate
location of the crash site. The walkway makes a third change in direction approaching the Wall of Names.

The depiction of the flight path continues at the Memorial
Plaza and again is represented by a black granite walkway that
aligns with the flight path walkway at the Visitors Center above.
The hemlock geometric pattern is displayed in the design of the
black granite.
Along the flight path, 40 marble panels are aligned in a row.
The marble panels are eight feet tall, two and one half feet wide
and three and one half inches deep. Each panel weighs about one
thousand pounds. When contrasted with the low,black wall along
the approach,the white marble is heroic in scale.
Quarried from Danby,Vermont (the same quarry that had pro-
duced marble for the Jefferson Memorial), the Olympian white
stone from which the panels were hewn was selected for its
pale luminescence and soft grey veining, which gives each pan-
el unique character. The veined pattern also gives the panels a
cloudlike appearance. The eight-foot height creates a dramatic
effect for visitors. The panels were polished and the reflections
of clouds and sky are so pronounced that it is sometimes hard to
tell where the panel ends and the sky begins. Each of the panels
has a unique vein pattern and the panels are staggered. Each
panel stands separate and apart but the panels are united in a
wall pointing toward the crash site. The staggered pattern also
represents motion.
The names of the passengers and crew were engraved on the
panels in one-inch Whitney Semi Bold Small Caps, a font chosen
by the architect for its simplicity and angular detail of selected
form letters. The angular detail relates to subtle architectural
elements of the memorial design. Metal letters cut from sheets
of dark black walnut finished steel manufactured in Pittsburgh
were inlaid manually into the letters. Polishing and engraving
was done in Quebec.

There are many textures at the Memorial—the
polished marble and engraved names, the rough
hemlock castings, the black wall separating the
walkway from the Field of Honor—and the sights,
sounds and feel of the site help to enhance the
visitor experience.
The Wall of Names is extended with more
marble panels and the flight path ends at a Cere-
monial Gate. The Gate is made of hemlock beams
and steel framing, again combining the heritage
of surrounding community with industrial tech-
nologies. The eight hemlock gate posts have 40
hand-hewn facets, one for each of the heroes.The
gate is opened on Sept. 11 and family and friends
of the heroes are allowed to walk through the fi-
nal resting place of their loved ones. Family and
friends are also permitted onto the crash sites
during other visits.

DEDICATION REMARKS
We know, and I know, that no memorial — no words, no acts — can fill the void
theyleft in your heart. Myprayer for you is that ten years later,their memoryis
able to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. And I hope
you take comfort in knowing that a grateful nation understands thatyour loved
ones gave their lives in pursuit of the noblest of earthlygoals: defending their
country,defending their families,sacrificing their lives so we could live ours.
“They didn’t know the horror that awaited them, but they confronted
unimaginable fear and terror with a courage that has been summoned by the
truest and rarest of American heroes —40 names etched on each of the panels
on the wall, the Wall of Names. But more than that, their names are going to
be,as President Bush said,etched forever into American history.”
September 10,2011
Vice President Joe Biden:
At the 10th anniversary of Sept.11,2001,several presidential figure presided over the services including,from left,President George W.Bush,First Lady Laura Bush,
President Bill Clinton, Jill Biden and her husband Vice President Joe Biden.

For generations people will study the… story of Flight 93. They will learn
that individual choices make a difference, that love and sacrifice can triumph
over evil and hate,and that what happened above this Pennsylvania field ranks
among the most courageous acts in American history.
“The memorial we dedicate today will ensure our nation always remembers
those lost here on 9/11. But we have a duty beyond memory. We have a duty
beyond honoring. We have a duty to live our lives in a way that upholds the
ideals for which the men and women gave their lives,to build a living memorial
to their courage and sacrifice. We have a duty to find common purpose as a
nation.
“… For as long as this memorial stands, we will remember what the men and
womenaboardtheplanedidhere. We’llpaytributetothecouragetheyshowed,
the sacrifice they made,and the lives they spared.The United States will never
forget.”
Former President George W.Bush:

…For at the Alamo and at Thermopylae, they were soldiers, they knew what
they had to do. Your loved ones just happened to be on a plane.
“With almost no time to decide, they gave the entire country an incalculable
gift. They saved the Capitol from attack. They saved God knows have many
lives. They saved the terrorists from claiming the symbolicvictory of smashing
the center of American government. And they did it as citizens.
“Theyallowedustosurviveasacountrythatcouldfightterrorandstillmaintain
libertyand stillwelcome people from all over theworld from everyreligion and
race and culture as long as they shared our values, because ordinary people
given no time at all to decide did the right thing. And 2,500 years from now, I
hope and pray to God that people will still remember.”
Former President Bill Clinton:
Gordon Felt,who lost his brother Edward on United Flight 93,shakes hands with former President Bill Clinton.

We now know as a country that moments and people come through our lives to
remind us to cherish what we have and to do all we can to protect it.
“Ten years on—you remain an emblem of America’s great glory. Two-hundred-
thirty-plus years of liberty and self-determination demonstrated at its highest
regard and at its highest costs. We know that you would expect of your country
nothing less.
“Tragedies teach us but they do not stop us. We are still the freest, most
blessed nation in this treasured world. And we will long honor that role with
the message and guidance of 40 good shepherds.”
Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge:

umans have been building monuments to remember important people and
stories from the earliest times of recorded history. Those stories are passed
fromgenerationtogenerationandthelistenersareencouragedtotakethose
stories as tools and pieces of empowerment for their own next best work.
The planners of this Memorial undertook a sacred
charge—to translate current events into a first draft of
history and to plan a Memorial that adequately hon-
ors the heroes of Flight 93 and meets the needs of
their surviving friends and family and visitors. There
was a serious commitment to factual accuracy in all
the research and planning for this site. Planning was
intentionally inclusive and the values of patience,
persistence and purposefulness were on full display.
One of the immediate effects of the events of
Sept. 11 was the recognition of the distinction be-
tween “celebrities” and “heroes.” And that distinction
continues to be made. The actions of those men and
women demonstrated that the arc of human history
is shaped by acts of moral courage—by people acting
with integrity in their moments of choice.
In the course of planning and building this Me-
morial, we were blessed to meet and work with many
talented individuals who used their creative imagina-
tion to help us. Architects Paul and Milena Murdoch
were two of those who demonstrated skilled mastery
in their work.
CONCLUSION
Family and friends of the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 walk past the Wall of Names at the Flight 93 National Memorial as they arrive for a Service of
Remembrance on Sept.11,2014, as the nation marks the 13th anniversary of the Sept.11 attacks. AP photo

While today we rightly celebrate how much has been accomplished, what I would
like to acknowledge more is the unfinished memorial.
…
“It is all the people yet to come that will enrich this place by leaving something of
themselves here and taking away their own personal experience. And while each
new person helps to complete this memorial, it will always remain unfinished as
long as freedom is alive.
“What 40 people taught us …is that the fight for freedom is never completed.
Libertyisneverassuredbutmaintainedandreestablishedthrougheachgeneration.
Like freedom, this memorial design is open-ended, requiring each visitor to help
sustain its legacy through commemoration,commitment and engagement.
…
“As the families understand,there is no closure to their losses. But in remembering
through design,we celebrate forty lives and commemorate their actions.
“In the evolving realization of this memorial,we thank them for their generosity.
“In its raw severity,we express their sacrifice.
“In its solemn darkness,we acknowledge their loss.
“In its calm serenity,we offer solace at their final resting place.
“In its monumental scale,we praise their heroic deeds.
“In its ever-changing natural variety,we honor diverse,vital democracy.
“And in its ongoing openness,with the 40,we affirm our freedom.”1
At the dedication ceremony for the Visitor Center,Mr.Murdoch said this:
1
Paul Murdoch. “The Unfinished Memorial.” 9/11/2015. ©2015 Paul Murdoch,Architect,Flight 93 National Memorial. Published with permission.

Working together with National Park Service pro-
fessionals, educators, family members and local res-
idents, I developed a first-hand understanding of the
memorialization process and the particulars of the
Flight 93 National Memorial. Those experiences are
the basis of this book. I want to thank past and pres-
ent NPS employees John Reynolds, Joanne Hanley, Jeff
Reinbold, Keith Newlin, Stephen Clark and all the park
rangers at the memorial for their insights. Somerset
County coroner Wally Miller worked closely with family
members and was a strong advocate for family partic-
ipation. Somerset County commissioners Brad Cober,
Jim Marker and Pam Tokar Ickes worked behind the
scenes and in public to develop consensus for the cre-
ation of a national memorial at the crash site.
I want to thank Judge Kim Gibson and Larry Catuzzi,
original co-chairs of the task force, and Susan Hankin-
son,coordinator,worked hard to recruit,select and lead
the task force in its many projects, Dr. Ed Linenthal for
his contributions based on his work with memorializa-
tion and Dr.Angelo Armenti, Jr., for his contributions to
drafting our mission statement. I also want to thank
the members of the Memorial Ideas and General Man-
agement Plan committees, and especially my co-chair
for both committees, Esther Heymann, for their friend-
ship and hard work on those projects. The work of Tim
Baird and Gina Farfour, co-chairs of the Design Com-
petition Committee and Helene Fried and Don Stastny,
consultants, resulted in a fair, democratic process and
an outstanding selection. Paul and Milena Murdoch
were the perfect choice for the Memorial designers and
their creative imagination, talent and skill continue to
be revealed in this ever-changing site. And I’d like to
thank family members Patrick White, Ken Nacke, Larry
Catuzzi, Calvin Wilson, and Deborah Borza for working
through their personal grief to help build this stunning
memorial.
When I suggested writing this visitors guide, the
support and encouragement was overwhelming. I want
to thank wife, Susan, for the original suggestion and
subsequent encouragement. The officers of the Friends
of Flight 93. NPS archivist Barbara Black and Friends
Oral Historians Donna Glessner and Kathie Shaffer
where valuable sources of information and materials.
Photographers Charles Wagner, Val McClatchey, James
Bee, Gail Kemerer, the Pennsylvania State Police and
others generously permitted use of their creations.
Daily American staff members Tom Koppenhofer, Brian
Whipkey, April Shaffer and other members of their ed-
iting and formatting staff used their considerable tal-
ents to layout the pages for this publication.
I hope that I have done them all justice in this effort
at writing the first draft of the history of this Memorial.
However, if there are errors of fact or of interpretation,
I am responsible.
If you have any comments or suggestions to im-
prove this visitors guide, please send them to: jerrys-
pangler@dailyamerican.com.
n Sept. 11th, 2001, a plane fell out of the sky in our backyard and our
lives changed forever. Grieving family members and friends of the
passengers came to our community and we did what was expected of
us—we acted with compassion--helping people in need. And from that
horrific event, bonds of friendship and understanding developed. One of the com-
mon agreements we made was to make something good come out of this tragedy.
The Flight 93 National Memorial is one of those good things.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A portion of the proceeds from this publication will benefit
the Families of Flight 93,a non-profit organization.

Flight 93 visitor's guide - layout and design by April Shaffer

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Flight 93 visitor's guide - layout and design by April Shaffer