Ceremony marks 20th anniversary at Flight 93 National Memorial

Sep. 11—Remember.

That was the common theme at Flight 93 National Memorial on Saturday: Americans should emulate who they and the nation were the day after Sept. 11, 2001.

"We remember the vast majority of Americans were unified in purpose ... that time reminded us of the significance of our unity and strength as Americans," said Vice President Kamala Harris during the 20th remembrance ceremony of passengers and crew members wresting away United Airlines Flight 93 from hijackers and crashing it into a Somerset County field.

"We can never move on, but we must continue to move forward," said Gordon Felt, president of Families of Flight 93.

Felt, who lost his brother, Edward, in the crash reminded about 650 fellow family members and invited guests in attendance of how the 40 passengers and crew members banded together "under extreme conditions and were able to change the course of history."

Authorities believe those aboard United Flight 93 took a vote and fought back against their hijackers after learning of three other plane crashes in New York City and at the Pentagon that morning in a coordinated terrorist attack.

Flight 93 crashed in an empty Stonycreek Township field, preventing further loss of life as the aircraft's likely target was in Washington, D.C.

Former President George W. Bush said the nation joined together in many different ways after Sept. 11, 2001. There were young people joining the military and individuals and communities helping each other, despite their differences. The attacks brought about a range of emotions in all Americans, but he said everyone could be inspired by what happened over the skies of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

"These Americans were brave, strong and united in ways that shocked the terrorists and which should not surprise any of us," Bush said. "This is the nation we know."

Other speakers included Gov. Tom Wolf, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Capt. Dave Kurtz, commanding officer of the USS Somerset, which was named in honor of Somerset County. The ceremony was closed to the public, but the park opened after noon during President Biden's visit with family members at the crash site.

Saturday started off chilly with many in attendance donning jackets, but as the sun rose higher so did the temperature. Chairs for the audience were spaced out from each other as a horde of media much larger than recent years watched.

Family members spoke the name of their fallen hero, each being marked afterward by the Bells of Remembrance. "Our dad," "my husband," my grandma" and "our beautiful loved one," they said, all showing that their grief has not subsided in 20 years.

During his speech, Felt repeatedly quoted the nation's original motto — e pluribus unum, meaning out of many, one — as he recalled how Americans came together in the wake of the attacks.

"Let us strive to be worthy of those we lost that morning — our 40 heroes and the thousands of lives extinguished in the aftermath of September 11th," he said. "E pluribus unum."

Harris said all Americans should seek unity as a means to honor those on Flight 93 and help the country withstand more challenges in the future. She noted the 40 passengers and crew focused on their collective humanity rather than their differences.

"We must challenge ourselves to look back, to remember for the sake of our children, for the sake of their children and ... we must also look forward," she said. "In the end, I do believe that is what the 40 were fighting for — their future and ours."

9:57—Less than 30 minutes after the hijacking, passengers and crew made phone calls and decided to retake Flight 93. They rushed up the aisle toward the cockpit. The cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of a desperate struggle. pic.twitter.com/agoXfcIlDN

— Flight 93 NMEM (@Flight93NPS) September 11, 2021

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