Families and partners to gather in Shanksville to pay tribute to passengers
and crew
SOMERSET, Pa., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Five years after 9/11, the
Flight 93 families and partner groups will gather near Shanksville, Pa., to
honor the heroic actions of the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who, on
Sept. 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives, thereby thwarting a planned
attack on the nation's capital. Hundreds are expected to attend the
ceremony on Sept. 11, 2006, as the nation remembers the events of 9/11 and
the 40 heroes of Flight 93 at the annual commemoration ceremony near the
crash site.
The theme of this year's ceremony, "United in Courage, Community and
Commitment," pays homage to the collaborative efforts of the diverse,
passionate group of family members, community leaders, citizen volunteers
and other Flight 93 National Memorial partner groups who have come together
to memorialize the legacy of these 40 heroes.
Over the last five years, this common goal to build the Flight 93
National Memorial has brought together several partner organizations,
including The Families of Flight 93, the Flight 93 Federal Advisory
Commission, the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, the National Park Service
and the National Park Foundation.
There will be a diverse group of distinguished guests and speakers who
have been invited to participate this year. Speakers include:
-- The Honorable Edward G. Rendell, Governor, Pennsylvania;
-- The Honorable Bill Shuster (R-PA), Member of Congress;
-- Hamilton Peterson, son of passengers Donald and Jean Peterson and
President of the Families of Flight 93; and
-- Former Pennsylvania Governor and First Secretary of Homeland Security
Tom Ridge, Honorary Co-Chair of the Flight 93 National Memorial
Capital Campaign.
Outback Steakhouse Board Chairman Chris Sullivan, National Chairman of
the Flight 93 National Memorial Capital Campaign; and retired General Tommy
Franks, Honorary Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign are scheduled to attend.
"This is a day to honor our family members and pay tribute to their
collective acts of courage that day," said Peterson. "We will gather at the
future site of the permanent national memorial near Shanksville, a place
where people can go to forever remember the sacrifice these 40 heroes made
to save countless others."
"We must remember that the passengers of Flight 93 were not soldiers,
they were every day men and women," said Governor Rendell. "This memorial
serves as an enduring reminder of the bravery of those individuals, whose
courageous acts prevented an even greater loss of life.
"As we honor their selfless acts, we also pledge to preserve the legacy
of their sacrifice for future generations," Governor Rendell added.
During the service, Captain Stephen Ruda of the Los Angeles Fire
Department and author of the opening phrase of the preamble to the Flight
93 National Memorial mission statement: "A common field one day ... A field
of honor forever," will read the names of the 40 passengers and crew after
a moment of silence. During the name presentation, the bell of remembrance
and the echo bell will also be tolled.
"This year, we're expecting more people than ever at the ceremony
because of the fifth anniversary," said Joanne Hanley, Superintendent of
the Flight 93 National Memorial. "Visitation to the site has increased in
the recent months leading up to this year's commemoration ceremony. In June
alone, we had almost 20,000 visitors from all 50 states and more than 24
countries." The Flight 93 temporary memorial attracts more than 130,000
visitors annually.
"We welcome everyone to come on Sept. 11 and experience the ceremony to
honor the passengers and crew," added Hanley. "We will be releasing
detailed information Sept. 1 about times, parking, shuttle schedules and
other information for the public. Logistics will, however, be very similar
to years past, in that the ceremony will be held at the gravel pad on
Skyline Road down the hill from the temporary memorial, a shuttle will
provide access to the ceremony site, and so forth."
The Flight 93 temporary memorial is located at the Flight 93 crash site
near rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in Somerset County. There, a 40-foot
chain-link fence currently serves as a backdrop for tributes left by
visitors from around the world who travel to Shanksville to pay their
respects. The tributes are being cared for by the National Park Service and
are being archived for future exhibition, study and other educational
purposes.
The permanent Flight 93 National Memorial will be constructed at this
site and will serve to honor the heroism, courage and enduring sacrifice of
the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93. It will tell the story of the
extraordinary acts of the passengers and crew, and will be a place for
individuals to learn about the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and find meaning
and inspiration in their experience. The final design selection for the
permanent National Memorial was announced on Sept. 7, 2005, in Washington,
D.C., and can be viewed at http://www.honorflight93.org.
"The selected Memorial design is a fitting tribute to the heroes of
Flight 93," said former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. "It is
breathtakingly beautiful and truly enhances the natural landscape of the
crash site. The Memorial is stunning in its simplicity, but so profound in
its impact."
Fundraising is underway to raise money for the creation and long-term
management of the Flight 93 National Memorial. The capital campaign has
launched nationally and internationally, seeking to raise $30 million from
philanthropic individuals, corporations, and foundations to enable the
construction of the Memorial. To date, more than $7.2 million has been
raised from more than 11,500 donors toward the $30 million goal, and the
Memorial is slated to be finished in 2011.
"The sights and sounds of 9/11 are embedded in our national being,"
said Ridge. "We will never forget the memories and courage of that
particular day. The fact that we've had literally hundreds of thousands of
people visit the site before this magnificent memorial is even constructed
reveals the need as well as the desire of American people to memorialize
this very special place so that future generations will come to know its
very special story.
"I am proud to be a part of the Flight 93 National Memorial fundraising
campaign."
For information about the Flight 93 National Memorial and the selected
design, or to learn how to contribute, please visit
http://www.honorflight93.org.
About the Flight 93 National Memorial
On Sept. 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act.
The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and
crew of Flight 93 who, on Sept. 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives
thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital. The Memorial is
near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Flight 93 National Memorial project made history as the first
national park designed entirely through an open, public design competition.
The year- long, international competition received more than 1,000
submissions created by professionals and members of the general public.
A diverse jury comprised of family members, community representatives
and design professionals chose the winning design because it most
completely exemplifies the mission of the Memorial. The final design
selection for the Flight 93 National Memorial, announced Sept. 7, 2005, was
created by Paul Murdoch Architects of Los Angeles and Nelson Byrd Woltz
Landscape Architects. The design can be viewed online at
http://www.honorflight93.org.
When completed, the Flight 93 National Memorial will encompass 2,200
acres of land, of which almost 1,300 acres will be dedicated to the design
features, and 900 acres will be protected through partnerships and scenic
easements. The National Park Service is the steward of the Flight 93
National Memorial.
SOURCE National Park Service
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Related links:
http://www.honorflight93.org
CONTACT:
PR - Bill Haworth of Integrated Strategies,
LLC, Office: +1-310-409-5179, haworthpr@aol.com; or Lisa Tristano
of MARC USA PR, Office: +1-412-562-1189, ltristano@marcusa.com
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