SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — The walkway at the Flight 93 National Memorial by the Visitor Center is the path Flight 93 was on just moments before those on board took control back from hijackers and crashed it into a field on September 11, 2001.
PHOTOS >>> 9/11 24th anniversary - Flight 93
On Thursday, hundreds made their way to the site to honor those brave passengers and crew from all across the country.
Bells sounded after each name of the 40 passengers and crew was read out loud, marking 24 years since the terror attack on 9/11.
The annual ceremony brings in people from all around the world to pay their respects to those who lost their lives aboard Flight 93.
“It’s sobering,” said Mike Flores of Amarillo, Texas. “It’s humbling because what they had to go through, knowing they probably weren’t going to make it back home, that’s terrifying to me. But at the same time, it’s important to remember what they went through so it doesn’t happen again.”
Flores is a runner. Since 2020, he’s run the Great American Relay. It’s a fundraiser for different charities. On Thursday, they held a Flight 93 memorial run, which spanned 9.11 miles.
The run started at the exact moment the North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit.
“The plan was to leave at 8:46 a.m. and run 9.11 miles through the countryside around here to end up at the Shanksville Fire Department,” Flores explained.
The memorial ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial started at 9:45 a.m. and went through the moment Flight 93 crashed at 10:03 a.m. Family members of the passenger and crew were on hand, as were students, both in person and virtually.
“It’s incredibly important for opportunities to invite the next generation to come to the memorial and be a part of the annual observances so they too can learn why this is so important to so many Americans across the country and why this day continues to resonate with so many citizens across the country,” said Adam Shaffer with the Flight 93 National Memorial.
“Those individuals made a collective decision that changed our world forever 24 years ago this morning,” said Superintendent Stephen Clark during the ceremony. “Their decision to fight back against the terrorists who had hijacked their plane saved an untold number of lives and preserved the US Capitol, the symbol and center of our democracy. We honor their actions as a truly heroic display of unity, courage, and defiance in the face of tremendous adversity.”
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