Area, park to mark Flight 93 crash anniversary; Emhoff to place wreath

Sep. 9—SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial over the coming days will be able to get a fresh look at the onetime crash site from the spot Flight 93 families first stood in 2001.

Newly finished enhancements to the Western Overlook, which are being unveiled Saturday during the annual Heroes' Walk, are among the highlights of the anniversary weekend.

Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, which was formed to support the National Park Service- operated space and its 9/11 story, view the overlook as a "sacred space" within the park. And the project's completion marks years worth of work.

"The Western Overlook is where the world heard of Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001, and where the families came to mourn the loss of loved ones. It also marks the beginning of the permanent memorial and a place to honor the 40 passengers and crew members," Superintendent of Flight 93 National Memorial Stephen M. Clark said.

Families of Flight 93 and memorial supporters from across the region preregistered for the event.

The walk begins at 10:03 a.m.

The overlook will also be viewable on Monday as crowds gather for the 22nd anniversary of the Flight 93 crash.

The upgraded overlook's debut is part of a memorial commemoration that will likely be a bit lower profile in 2023.

Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will participate in the annual wreath-laying ceremony, his communications director, Liza Acevedo, confirmed on social media.

But no one from the White House is scheduled to speak at the event on Monday.

President Joe Biden, who has made several prior Flight 93 visits, will mark the 9/11 anniversary this year alongside members of all four branches of the military at Joint Base Elmendorf — Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

Harris, who spoke at Flight 93 in 2021, will be at the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan for the anniversary.

This will mark Emhoff's second appearance at Flight 93 for the anniversary. He also previously attended in 2021.

Public event

At the national memorial in Somerset County, the public is invited to attend a 30-minute ceremony marking the 22nd anniversary of the Flight 93 crash at the memorial, but the observance will also be broadcast live on the Flight 93 National Memorial YouTube page.

Thousands of people attend the event annually, with 10,000 traveling to the Shanksville-area memorial site in 2011.

A Shanksville-Stonycreek High School 2003 alumnus, Jacob Miller, will read each name of the 40 passengers and crew members who died that day, while Shanksville-Stonycreek School Memorial artist Jan Loney and retired art teacher Joy Knepp will ring the Bells of Remembrance after each name is called aloud.

At 2 p.m., the wreath-laying ceremony will occur at Memorial Plaza near the Wall of Names.

Patriot Park

Patriot Park, which sits along U.S. Route 30 near the Flight 93 memorial, is not planning a special event this year to mark the anniversary, organizers said.

But the park, which pays tribute to the men and women who served and died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that followed the attacks, will have volunteers and "greeters" on hand to welcome visitors all weekend and Sept. 11, said Linda Musser, whose family helped found the park.

The 6150 Lincoln Highway park opens at 9 a.m. daily.

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown will welcome nearby Richland High School students to commemorate the anniversary of the 2001 event at the campus' Heroes Memorial, school officials said.

The memorial includes a section of I-beam from the World Trade Center and 12 granite panels that honor the thousands who died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as a list of those who died aboard American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flights 175 and 93, as well as the lives lost at the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

The memorial will welcome classes throughout the day for the anniversary.

A former FBI agent will be the featured speaker at the Sept. 11 anniversary service at the Flight 93 Memorial Chapel for a public service Monday.

Lillie Leonardi worked for the federal agency during the 9/11 response before stepping down with post-traumatic stress disorder. She'll share stories about "In the Shadow of a Badge," a book she wrote about her spiritual transformation after witnessing a "legion of angels" at the crash site, according to her book's summary.

The service and program begins at 9:45 a.m., volunteer Connie Hay said.

The Rev. Patrick Walsh, of Friedens, will deliver the morning service, she said.

Leonardi is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m.

The nondenominational 1502 Stutzmantown Road chapel was first developed in 2002 and is separate from the national memorial.