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Contact: Mike Litterst, 202-306-4166
Flight 93 National Memorial September 11 Commemoration
to Honor the Heroes of Flight 93
On 15thAnniversary, Special Programs Include Luminary Lighting, Commemorative Ceremony with Remarks by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. –Flight 93 National Memorial will honor the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 on the 15th anniversary of September 11 with two days of special programs, culminating in the annual service of remembrance on Sunday, September 11, 2016. The September 11 Service of Remembrance will begin at 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, September 11 on the grounds of the Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and president of the Families of Flight 93 Gordon Felt will deliver remarks, along with the members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation –Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey and Congressman Bill Shuster. At 10:03 a.m. –the moment Flight 93 crashed –the names of the passengers and crew members will be read and Bells of Remembrance will be rung in their memory. At 12:45 p.m., there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Wall of Names on the memorial plaza with the Families of Flight 93, memorial officials, and dignitaries. At the conclusion of the wreath laying, the ceremonial gate to the crash site will be opened and family members will walk out to the crash site. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all programs, and seating will be provided at the September 11 Service of Remembrance at the visitor center. No backpacks or large bags are permitted. The memorial will open at dawn on September 11;visitors are encouraged to arrive early to allow ample time for the shuttle ride from the parking area to visitor center. The visitor center will open at noon, following the Service of Remembrance. The Luminaria Program will take place on Saturday, September 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. An array of 40 candle lanterns will be placed at the Wall of Names, serving as a silent and moving tribute to the tragic loss of life of the passengers and crew on Flight 93 in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Family members, memorial center staff and volunteers will carry lanterns in this solemn procession. Updated information on these events will be announced on the memorial website. If You Go Flight 93 National Memorial is a tribute to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 and is a place to explore and discover their inspiring story of courage and hope. A 3.5-mile scenic drive leads visitors from the entrance at US Route 30 to the Memorial Plaza at the crash site where visitors may view panels in an outdoor exhibit area and learn more through cell phone tours;talk with Park Rangers and volunteer Ambassadors;participate in interpretive programs;view the field where Flight 93 crashed, which is the final resting place of the passengers and crew;and walk along the Wall of Names. The Visitor Center complex includes the visitor center with exhibit area, Learning Center, a parking area, Allée and Western Overlook trailheads, and the Flight Path Walkway and Overlook. The memorial is fully accessible;for specific details, contact the park at (814) 893-6322. The memorial is open from dawn to dusk every day of the year except December 25. Admission is free of charge. Flight 93 National Memorial is located 20 miles northeast of Somerset and 24 miles west of Bedford;the entrance is located at 6424 Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in Stoystown, PA15563. For further information, visit www.nps.gov/flni or call (814) 893-6322. -NPS- 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 September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni. ----- |
Last updated: September 10, 2016