Sept. 11, 2022 – Twenty-one years ago today, ordinary citizens and first responders demonstrated extraordinary courage as they sought to save their fellow citizens from a coordinated terrorist attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in the air above Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Terrorists turned commercial airplanes into weapons. They deliberately flew the planes into the Twin Towers in New York City (World Trade Center) and the Pentagon, home of the U.S. Department of Defense. A fourth plane had a target in Washington, D.C., most likely the U.S. Capitol building. But 40 passengers and crew aboard United Flight 93 thwarted the attack resulting in the terrorists flying the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In 2021 to honor the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Redwood Learn traveled to Shanksville for media day on September 9 at the Flight 93 National Memorial. It was a moving experience made all the more so when a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky after a brief thunderstorm. The rainbow seemed to end in the field where the plane hit the ground traveling more than 500 miles per hour and crashing in an upside down position. The horror of the day is still incomprehensible. But the nation must never forget that day.

The following is Redwood Learn’s 2021 story from Shanskville.

Sept. 10, 2021 – A long, winding, two-lane road traverses the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A posted speed limit of 25 mph on one section forces people to slow down. That is as it should be. The 2,200-acre rural site is sacred ground. It’s the final resting place of 40 ordinary people who rose early on September 11, 2001 (9/11) for a nonstop flight to San Francisco. United Flight 93 departed from Newark, New Jersey at 8:42 a.m., about 25 minutes late. At 9:28 a.m., four hijackers took control of the plane. By 10:03 a.m., the 33 passengers and seven crew members were American heroes after valiantly trying to thwart the hijackers. They sacrificed their lives to prevent their airplane, the fourth weapon in the air hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists that morning, from crashing into its likely target – the U.S. Capitol building.

The crash site is now the Flight 93 National Memorial. It’s a site within the National Park Service (NPS). Memorial Plaza is near the crash site. The plaza opened in 2011. In 2015, the new Visitor Center opened. It’s on a hill overlooking Memorial Plaza.

The National Park Service is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the day that changed America forever.  They are hosting a series of events this week that will culminate in a solemn, private ceremony on Saturday, September 11, 2021. More than 400 family members of the 40 Flight 93 heroes will attend.

On Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, Gordon Felt, brother of Edward Porter Felt who was a Flight 93 passenger, spoke to the media at Memorial Plaza near the crash site. He said he and his brother grew up in upstate New York so Shanksville’s rural setting is a comfortable one for him. Since the horrible tragedy in 2001, Gordon has been a spokesperson for the Families of Flight 93, a nonprofit organization, to keep the memory of 9/11 and their loved ones alive. He has been to the site many times over the years. “It’s my second home,” Gordon said yesterday.

Flight 93 passenger – Edward Porter Felt, 41

Flight 93 took off at 8:42 a.m., about 25 minutes late. Edward Porter Felt, a passenger, was assigned to seat 2D. Two of the four terrorists-hijackers sat in the row behind him.

Less than one hour later, the terrorists breached the cockpit door and gained control of the airplane. They turned the plane around and headed for the nation’s capital.

At 9:58 a.m., Edward used his cell phone to call 9-1-1. Westmoreland County Control in Greensburg, Pennsylvania received the call. During the 70-second call, Edward told the dispatcher, “Hijacking in progress!”

Edward was a computer software engineer. He booked the flight at the last minute for a business trip. He loved spending time outdoors with his wife and two children.

After the hijacking, passengers were moved to the back of the airplane and the curtains drawn to obscure their view into first class and the cockpit.

Assembled together without a terrorist, the group began placing phone calls on Airfones installed in the seats. A total of 37 calls were made. Only two were made from cell phones. On their website, the National Park Service has posted written transcripts of some of the calls made by passengers and crew.

As the passengers received information, they learned of three other hijackings. There had been attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington.

The Flight 93 pilot and co-pilot had been attacked by the terrorists. They were incapacitated.

From the back of the plane, passengers voted on an action plan. They would rush the cockpit to regain control of the airplane. That decision changed the way average citizens approached hijacking situations. Instead of sitting passively, citizens became actively involved in confronting hijackers, Gordon Felt, Edward’s brother, said at the 2015 Visitor Center opening. Just two weeks before the opening, three Americans subdued a terrorist on a train in France before any passengers were hurt.

Gordon said he likes to think the Flight 93 heroes provided inspiration to them.

On 9/11, Flight 93 passengers were ready to act.

At 9:55 a.m., Todd Beamer, a passenger, said, “Let’s roll!”

The plane was 18 minutes from Washington. But with passengers attacking, the hijackers decided to purposely crash the plane. In its final seconds, the plane turned upside down. At 10:03 a.m., Flight 93 crashed into a field in western Pennsylvania traveling 563 miles per hour (mph).

Less than 10 percent of their loved ones’ remains were recovered, Gordon said at the 2015 Visitor Center opening.

Honoring Flight 93 heroes through chalk art
On his way back to his home outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from a visit to Gettysburg, Erik Greenawalt, a chalk artist, stopped at the Flight 93 National Memorial to view the new Tower of Voices, which openedin 2020. For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, he had an idea to draw chalk portraits of each of the 40 heroes. Having already worked with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, his idea quickly became reality.

Erik recruited fellow chalk artists from around the country to help since he could not do all 40 portraits, Erik said to Redwood Learn as he drew a portrait of Jeremy Glick on Sept. 9, 2021. Ten artists spent three days drawing four Flight 93 heroes. The portraits will be placed on the walkway at the Visitor Center that is the path the airplane flew in its final seconds.

Naomi Haverland came from Florida to participate in the project. “It’s a really neat way to honor each person,” Naomi said to Redwood Learn as she put the finishing touches on the portrait of Lorraine Bay, a Flight 93 Flight Attendant.

In 2015, Redwood Learn interviewed Emily Schenkel, Lorraine’s goddaughter. She spoke lovingly about her “Aunt Lorraine.” The following is a summary of that interview.

Lorraine G. Bay, Flight 93 Flight Attendant

Lorraine G. Bay, Flight 93 flight attendant, had more than 30 years of experience. She was a senior attendant on Sept. 11, 2001 who still loved her job.

Edwin Root, Lorraine’s first cousin, and Emily Schenkel, Edward’s daughter and Lorraine’s goddaughter, were present at the 2015 Visitor Center opening. Edwin, an historian and author, spoke about the countless numbers of hours and emails that were devoted to choosing the displays. Especially difficult was the decision to include a display with audio recordings of phone messages left by passengers. Each family made the decision to release the recording. “It was a very emotional discussion,” Edwin said.

Both Edwin and Emily described Lorraine as full of life who loved her job because she enjoyed meeting people and taking care of them. On one of Lorraine’s first flights in the days when meals were served to every passenger, she took the time to unwrap each sandwich. The process took so long the plane was landing before she could serve everyone, Edwin said as he smiled.

Lorraine was also very organized. When Edwin helped Lorraine’s husband after she died, they found birthday cards with sticky notes for birthdays six months in advance.

Emily called Lorraine “Aunt Lorraine.” She recalled one Thanksgiving as a young girl when she sat on Aunt Lorraine’s lap as the adults watched football instead of a movie she wanted to watch. Lorraine understood her disappointment and comforted her instead of scolding her, Emily remembered. That was Aunt Lorraine and Lorraine Bay, United Airlines Flight 93 flight attendant.

VIDEO: Redwood Learn 2015 Interview with Family Members of Lorraine Bay

Four planes hit three sites
Ceremonies will be held tomorrow in New York City where hijackers flew two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, murdering more than 2,500 people who could not escape the inferno and ultimate collapse of both towers.

The hijackers flew Flight 77 into the Pentagon, killing 184 people working there as well as all of the passengers and crew on the plane.

And as the fourth hijacked plane, the 40 Flight 93 passengers and crew saved thousands of lives by attacking the hijackers and preventing them from flying the plane into the U.S. Capitol building.

Never Forget

The opening lyrics of The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles (1970) aptly describes all of the memorials to the innocent victims of 9/11.

“The long and winding road that leads to your door,
 will never disappear.
I’ve seen that road before.
It always leads me here, lead me to your door.”

Let’s keep the memory of 9/11 alive through reading, studying and listening to the stories of the innocent lives lost. In addition, let’s remember the thousands of first responders who searched for survivors and the civilians who responded by feeding them for weeks and months.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How many commercial airplanes were hijacked on September 11, 2001?

2. Who hijacked the airplanes?

3. What was United Flight 93’s intended destination?

4. What buildings were hit in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001?

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. Why are the 33 Flight 93 passengers and seven crew members heroes?

2. How has the nation honored the almost 3,000 people who were killed on September 11, 2001 in the terrorist attacks?

3. Why is the site where Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania sacred ground?

4. How can art help heal in times of tragedy?