SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (WJAC) — “Never forget,” a vow taken by countless Americans after our great nation was attacked by terrorists on 9-11.
The Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County strives to commit to that vow by sharing the story of Flight 93 with people from all over the world.
Here's a look at the transformation of that site from a simple chain link fence to the monumental 22-acre park through the eyes of Stephen Clark, the Superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial:
"I came back, actually when, then candidate, John McCain was here and the event was up at the temporary memorial, so that really was the first time that I came to experience and embrace this particular story.
“I would say that it started, in the immediate aftermath of the impact. You had hundreds, ultimately thousands of first responders coming to this location for a purpose, what was the purpose initially? It was to save lives. When it was quickly realized that there were no lives that survived the crash it was more of the investigation of the event, as well as the recovery of human remains and parts of the plane and so forth and then the families started arriving and then the ambassadors, which is really the group that is the backbone of our memorial.
“The ambassadors are our volunteers. They interpret the story with the rangers and with the ambassadors that were formed in the very early days, we would not have the success of trying to reach every single visitor of which there are more than 400,000 or so a year to make them understand, to help them understand the story of the 40, what went on on that airplane above the skies and some of the facts that they knew yet the still had the courage to act.
“That's what makes this story of Flight 93 so miraculous and we also talk about New York those who lost their lives in the World Trade Centers and of course at the Pentagon and all four airplanes total, l but here at Flight 93 we talk about the 40. We honor the 40, their courage who they were in life and how they died as a group, trying to do the right thing for this great nation. Often times to become a national park unit, there's 423 total, it takes decades.
“But this memorial was signed into law by George W. Bush on September 24th, 2002, so a little over a year, which again is unheard of in the National Park Service and I think it was because the people of the country knew that this was going to be a part of America's history in a way very very tied to New York and of course at the Pentagon, but this was going to be the People's Memorial as it relates to the National Park Service.
“So through those beginning years, working with the partners, working with landowners, working with the families as well as the National Park Foundation and other amazing groups, the communities, business leaders, ahh there were challenges, there's no question about it but that all culminated in 2011 with the 10 year anniversary with an event just over my shoulder here which was incredibly powerful, very very meaningful and very very special.
“For the most part, the three phases are complete. As I mentioned 2011 here at the plaza, 2015 the Learning Center and the Visitor's Center, 2018 the Tower of Voices for the most part the bricks and mortar are complete. But where we go from here as a community with our partnership is Never Forget. The Next Generation. Continually striving to embrace technology to take the story of Flight 93 all around the world because so many aren't able to come to Somerset County so what we're focused on with our rangers our ambassadors our partners is to bring the story and the memorial to them to a VFW in Tulsa Oklahoma or to a school in Japan or in Israel, we're doing those things and that is really the beauty of this Memorial with so many brilliant people who understand that technology to continue to educate and to ensure that the American people and those people around the world never forget those aboard Flight 93.
“We knew deep down that this would be a story that would live in perpetuity for this nation. So, as we learned about the story as we worked together for the success of this story we realized that this was going to be a special place. To your point in January, in February and I would venture mostly the audience here knows western Pennsylvanian winters and when your nostril hairs freeze you know what that is and it could be -10 -15 winds blowing howling and it's bitter cold but people still come even in the middle of February at the most harshest time of the year.
“They're drawn to this story, to the courage and to the heroism of Flight 93 and I really believe, and I study visitation trends for a living, that this story will continue to grow and out visitation, I'm gonna go on the record and say we will top half a million here in the next couple of years because the more this story grows and is learned by others from around the world I think the more people are gonna want to journey to this location because it's very inspirational and it's a symbol of what this great nation is all about.
“When people from all over the world from other countries who were on that plane, New Zealand, and Japan and Germany and so many Americans bonded together to do the right thing for the right reasons in the face of absolute abject fear, you can't help but be empowered and inspired by their ultimate sacrifice.”
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