Day 21 – September 25

Day 21 - September 25

On September 11, 2001, at 10:03 a.m., United Flight 93 nosedived into a field near a reclaimed strip mine in Stonycreek Township, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Yesterday, we stood at the very location where Flight 93 crashed.

The crowd was small, the temperature was about 60 degrees, and the sun was shining. For Gayle and me, it was a significant moment—it was the third and final 9/11 crash site we have visited within the last two weeks.

Our visits to all three crash sites aren’t something we consider an achievement. They were our way of showing respect to our fellow Americans who perished through no fault of their own at the hands of individuals who had no respect for human life.

See the pictures below for views of the Flight 93 National Memorial.

Just before reaching the entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial, we came upon the Post-9/11 U.S. Armed Forces Memorial Park.

According to a sign at the memorial, 7,091 U.S. service members have died in the line of duty since September 11, 2001. To represent those lives lost, 7,091 small American flags have been planted in the ground, creating a sea of red, white, and blue.

It was a spectacular sight—and a sobering one when you realized what each of those flags represented.

See the photos below of the Post-9/11 U.S. Armed Forces Memorial Park.

Our third experience of the day was quite different. We visited an Amish store, Cornerstone Pantry, not too far from the Flight 93 National Memorial in Friedens, Pennsylvania.

Cornerstone Pantry was the real thing. It wasn’t set up as a tourist attraction—it was a genuine Amish country store serving people in the surrounding community.

Below are some additional photos from our travels yesterday.

Until next time…we’re traveling on.