Day Twenty-Nine – Flight 93 National Memorial

In a nondescript field carved out of a Pennsylvania temperate forest, sits a memorial dedicated to the heroism of some regular people who were put into an extraordinary situation on September 11, 2001.

When we realized our path home would take us relatively near the National Memorial for Flight 93, we altered our course to pay tribute to those remarkable men and women.


The morning’s drive took us up, over, and around the folds of the Appalachian Mountains of south western Pennsylvania. The forest rose on both sides of the highway as we travelled along. We wondered if we were on the correct road since it appeared to be just a rural area with a smattering of farm houses. We were glad to finally see the sign noting an upcoming turn to the Flight 93 Memorial.

The Memorial itself has a unique architecture that you notice when first approaching it. A black walkway leads to an overlook of the field in which Flight 93 crashed on that notorious day in America’s history. Later, we learned that the walkway was the flight path of the plane after it was hijacked by some of the 9-11 terrorists. Its course was aimed at either The White House or The Capital. After observing the somber field, we went into the visitor center.

There was a quietness inside this building that reflected the seriousness of the actions taken on that day twenty-four years ago. There was no excited chatter or laughter, instead people were seriously reading the information on the displays and looking at the maps, diagrams, and photos presented.


The first displays laid out a timeline for the events of 9-11. This included how the terrorists were allowed into the US and how they learned to fly planes. The displays also showed diagrams of the plane and its seating chart on that morning.


Then there were displays that showed how the terrorists commandeered the plane and altered its flight path. Visitors were also reminded about the actions of the other terrorists who flew planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. 

Visitors to the museum could listen to actual voicemail recordings from some of the passengers on Flight 93 who called home to tell their loved ones, “good bye”. 

In addition, one display had the cockpit flight recorder information combined with a flight simulator to show the final actions of the plane during the struggle between the terrorists and passengers.

Photos and memorabilia from the passengers and crew of Flight 93 showed ordinary people. Given the extraordinary position they were put into that morning, these Americans chose to take action against the terrorists which likely saved the lives of many more people should the plane have crashed into its target. As we learned more about the final day of Flight 93, our understanding and appreciation of their sacrifice increased.



What a respectful way to remember and honor those brave individuals. Although the Flight 93 National Memorial contained a lot of serious and sobering information that we had not known before, at the same time it was a tribute to the fortitude of ordinary people who at times in history are placed in extraordinary situations. 

As we drove away from the memorial on that misty day, we couldn’t help but wonder if we would we have stepped up in that kind of situation? One never knows until that day arrives, but maybe that is part of the point of the memorial. By providing this historic content, visitors can’t help but contemplate how they would have reacted. 

Join us in remembering those who sacrificed for others...

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