While we were in Pennsylvania prior to the Johnstown Thunder in the Valley Rally, we had the opportunity to visit the "temporary" Flight 93 Memorial. We didn't know what to expect and were a little nervous about getting there.
The memorial is out in the middle of a field, within sight of the actual crash site. The actual crash site is still fenced off and is still classified as a crime scene. The actual site is only open to the family of the victims of Flight 93.
It is odd riding out to the memorial. As you ride along a rough road, you are riding through fields of tall grass (at least at the time we came through). In the distance you see flags and a cluster of vehicles parked. There are no significant buildings nearby, just fields of grass. As you get closer to the memorial, you see a building put up by the Park Service, a rustic parking area and porta-pots for those of us who had too much coffee prior to the visit.
The "temporary" memorial is surrounded by a split-rail fence. I was not expecting the feelings that came along with visiting the memorial. As you walk slowly from one side of the memorial to the other, you see all of the mementos and tributes left by people to honor those of Flight 93. You can't get very far before you become overwhelmed with awe for what those people did in Flight 93 and the honor that is given to those brave heroes by many Americans.
All around you see tributes from children, adults, teachers, classes, clubs, etc. Basically people from all walks of life left and continue to leave tributes to the heroes of Flight 93. There are poems, flags, rosaries, sculptures, toys. All of these are left to honor. It is an overpowering experience and very much well worth the visit.
I mentioned that this is a "temporary" memorial to Flight 93. Apparently there are plans to build a permanent memorial, but personally, I believe this memorial better represents the thoughts and love of the American people than any formal memorial could possibly do. I can be very wrong in this belief too, but I was so overwhelmed by the memorial, I would hate to have it changed. I guess you could call me old-fashioned, but I believe gifts from the heart (and what is left there truly are gifts from the hearts of Americans) are more sincere. Hopefully the permanent memorial will incorporate the items in the temporary memorial.
Even though the actual memorial is very small, probably about 50 ft x 50 ft, it takes at least an hour to look at all of the mementos left to honor those of Flight 93. In the small building erected by the Forest Service they have the flight recording for the last 30 minutes of Flight 93. It is very scary to read what was going on in those last minutes. The Park Rangers there are also more than willing to talk with people and answer any questions they may have regarding Flight 93 and the memorial. There is also a sign-in book for all the visitors to this memorial.
It is awe-inspiring to think about what the people in Flight 93 went through and it is amazing to look at how they were able to crash the plane without injuring anyone on the ground. There is a grade school a short distance from the crash site and there is also a town very close to the crash site. The fact that the pilot was able to get the plane down in an open field is an amazing task and one that I suspect most people would not be able to do under the same circumstances. My heartfelt thanks to those heroes of Flight 93.
The memorial is out in the middle of a field, within sight of the actual crash site. The actual crash site is still fenced off and is still classified as a crime scene. The actual site is only open to the family of the victims of Flight 93.
It is odd riding out to the memorial. As you ride along a rough road, you are riding through fields of tall grass (at least at the time we came through). In the distance you see flags and a cluster of vehicles parked. There are no significant buildings nearby, just fields of grass. As you get closer to the memorial, you see a building put up by the Park Service, a rustic parking area and porta-pots for those of us who had too much coffee prior to the visit.
The "temporary" memorial is surrounded by a split-rail fence. I was not expecting the feelings that came along with visiting the memorial. As you walk slowly from one side of the memorial to the other, you see all of the mementos and tributes left by people to honor those of Flight 93. You can't get very far before you become overwhelmed with awe for what those people did in Flight 93 and the honor that is given to those brave heroes by many Americans.
All around you see tributes from children, adults, teachers, classes, clubs, etc. Basically people from all walks of life left and continue to leave tributes to the heroes of Flight 93. There are poems, flags, rosaries, sculptures, toys. All of these are left to honor. It is an overpowering experience and very much well worth the visit.
I mentioned that this is a "temporary" memorial to Flight 93. Apparently there are plans to build a permanent memorial, but personally, I believe this memorial better represents the thoughts and love of the American people than any formal memorial could possibly do. I can be very wrong in this belief too, but I was so overwhelmed by the memorial, I would hate to have it changed. I guess you could call me old-fashioned, but I believe gifts from the heart (and what is left there truly are gifts from the hearts of Americans) are more sincere. Hopefully the permanent memorial will incorporate the items in the temporary memorial.
Even though the actual memorial is very small, probably about 50 ft x 50 ft, it takes at least an hour to look at all of the mementos left to honor those of Flight 93. In the small building erected by the Forest Service they have the flight recording for the last 30 minutes of Flight 93. It is very scary to read what was going on in those last minutes. The Park Rangers there are also more than willing to talk with people and answer any questions they may have regarding Flight 93 and the memorial. There is also a sign-in book for all the visitors to this memorial.
It is awe-inspiring to think about what the people in Flight 93 went through and it is amazing to look at how they were able to crash the plane without injuring anyone on the ground. There is a grade school a short distance from the crash site and there is also a town very close to the crash site. The fact that the pilot was able to get the plane down in an open field is an amazing task and one that I suspect most people would not be able to do under the same circumstances. My heartfelt thanks to those heroes of Flight 93.
No comments:
Post a Comment