Newest national park unit to honor passengers and crew.
SHANKSVILLE, PA.-Recent legislation signed by President Bush created a national memorial to honor the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who lost their lives in a struggle with hijackers who had overtaken the plane last September 11.
The legislation directs the Interior Department to create a 15-member commission to plan for the Flight 93 National Memorial, to be built at the site of the crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
The 40 passengers and crewmembers who died in the crash have been lauded as symbols of American heroism, models of selflessness and solidarity. It is believed that they prevented the plane from crashing into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
"They took the plane into the ground to save life," said President George W. Bush in September, a day before signing the legislation to create the memorial. "These brave souls represented the true spirit and greatness of our country.
The creation of the memorial was unusual because the Park Service generally waits at least 50 years after an event before deciding whether to memorialize it as part of the National Park System.
"This memorial was declared instantaneously because of its extraordinary value to our history," said Park Service spokeswoman Edie Shean-Hammond. "This story is just phenomenal—no other park site tells a similar story . . . its national significance will stand up 50 years from now."
The Oklahoma City National Memorial was another recent exception; the memorial was established in 1997, two years after the federal building bombing.
The Flight 93 commission, consisting of local residents and officials, historians, families of the victims, Park Service officials, and others, must present a recommended memorial design to Congress within three years. The size and scope of the memorial, as well as how much it will cost and who will pay for it, are questions the commission will answer. The memorial becomes the National Park System's 386th unit.
Joy Oakes, NPCA's Mid-Atlantic regional director, said that protecting the land at the crash site was "timely and appropriate," adding that the designers should take their time to create a memorial truly suited to honoring Flight 93.
Thousands of people have visited the site of the crash since last September 11, leaving mementos such as handwritten letters, poems, and flags at a temporary memorial. The Park Service has worked with county officials, family members of the victims, and others to preserve the offerings.
Other legislation relating to the attacks of last September 11 has also been brought before Congress. One bill in the House would create a national memorial at or near the site of the World Trade Center in New York. Another would authorize a memorial of the attack on the Pentagon at the nearby Arlington Naval Annex in Virginia.
