SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — The sound of a bell echoed across the field in Shanksville as family members read the names of the passengers and crew members who died when Flight 93 crashed in 2001.
Dozens of people came to honor them; many had no connection to anyone on the plane.
“Very touching, memorable, and honorable for those who lost their lives that day,” Robert Thomas of South Carolina said.
Others knew the passengers. Rich Shotts worked with Jeremy Glick and made the trip from Chicago.
“We can all thank them for the lives that were saved,” Shotts said.
After a solemn service, family members visited the exact spot where the plane crashed after the passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers and stormed the cockpit, preventing it from reaching the U.S. Capitol.
“It makes us proud to know how Lauren’s final moments were for her,” Vaughn Lohec, Lauren’s sister, said.
Governor Josh Shapiro, who spoke, was in an office in the US. Capitol that September morning.
“In the years since, I’ve reflected on how their bravery may have even saved my life,” Shapiro said.
Family members say the national park with a memorial is a fitting and lasting tribute to their loved ones.
“They designed it around the topography of where the plane went down, so we got to really embrace the beauty of the open fields of Pennsylvania, just a special place to come to every year.”
While time passes and memories fade, family and friends say the monument will continue to tell the story of their loved ones for generations to come.
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