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The sign says:
Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania
On that fateful day of September 11, 2001, 33 passengers and 7 crew members sat on the tarmac at Newark International Airport waiting for United Flight 93 to be given clearance to take off on its way to San Francisco. They were unaware that they were about to experience the unthinkable, to change the course of history, and to play a major role in strengthening the nation's resolve and spirit of unity.
Several of the passengers had switched to this early morning flight to take advantage of the 8:00 am departure time. Others had missed their flight the evening before. Some were returning home from business trips or traveling to visit family or taking long dreamed of vacations. Some were starting new lives. Crew members were preparing for another day's work.
On that busy weekday morning at Newark Airport, Flight 93, a 757 jetliner, took off 45 late at 8:42am. Following standard procedures, the plane climbed to its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet in about 20 minutes and headed due west. It was near Cleveland, Ohio, that air traffic controllers realized that Flight 93 had been hijacked. At 9:36am, the plane made an ill-omened turn southeast toward the nation's capital.
Around this same time, passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 became aware that other planes were being hijacked that day and used as missiles to destroy icons of American democracy. Unwilling to sit idle and see more devastation done to our country, the passengers and crew acted with heroic defiance, impeding the terrorists, and giving their lives to allow hundreds of perhaps thousands of others to live.
Flight 93 crashed into an abandoned strip mine near the small town of Shanksville, Pennsylvania in Somerset Country at 10:03 am.
The heroes aboard Flight 93 and the actions of the emergency responders and citizens in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, will never be forgotten. On September 11th, 2001, Americans and people from around the world united together and responded to the tragic events with resolve and determination. It is this indomitable spirit of global unity and strength that will make it possible for Americans to rise above one of the most horrific events in United States history.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the LMDC thank the County of Somerset and the National Park Service for providing the information for this panel, and recognize the Flight 93 family members for their thoughtful guidance.
In Memorium: Crew and Passengers.... |