Attendees Arrive In Somerset County To Honor Flight 93 Victims

Nine years after Flight 93 crashed during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people nationwide are in Somerset County to honor those who died aboard the flight.

First lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush will speak at the annual service in Shanksville.

The service, from 9:30 to about 11 a.m., will be similar to past events. As has become tradition, loved ones will ready the victims' names and bells will toll at 10:03 a.m., the time the plane crashed.

Because construction is under way at the permanent 9/11 memorial in Stoneycreek Township, this year's memorial will be at the Western Overlook area.

Up to 5,000 people are expected. They are advised to arrive by 7 a.m. and bring nothing but blankets and cameras. Backpacks, coolers or folding chairs are not permitted.

Drivers should follow the white and blue sign to park their vehicles, then shuttle buses will take visitors through the site. At the site, visitors must pass through security screening.

Flight 93 was en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco when hijackers seized control and diverted it toward Washington, D.C., with the likely goal of crashing it into the White House or Capitol.

But the passengers fought back, and the official 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed the plane as passengers tried to wrest control of the cockpit.

Across the nation, memorial services are planned to mark the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville combined.

The memorial plaza under construction in the rolling hills is part of a long-awaited 2,200-acre national park. It will include a 93-foot tower at the entrance with wind chimes for each of the victims and a grove of trees.

More than 1.2 million people have visited the temporary memorial since the crash. Planners predict that about 250,000 people will visit the permanent memorial each year.

Only $40 million of the $58 million needed for the memorial has been raised. The park foundation has recently stepped up its efforts to raise money, including a new public service campaign encouraging people to make a $10 donation by texting the word MEMORIAL to 90999 or by contributing at www.honorflight93.org. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be dedicated by next year.

According to Friday's Daily American, a plan is also under consideration to move the Flight 93 memorial chapel, the thunder bell tower and the airline's monument inside a larger building to protect them. The Daily American also reported that a Pittsburgh architect has proposed construction of a facility that would also house a small auditorium, dining area, kitchen and a central area.

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Previous Stories: September 9, 2010: Nation Prepares To Honor 9/11 Victims On 9th Anniversary Of Attacks August 23, 2010: Michelle Obama To Give Keynote Speech At 9/11 Memorial In Somerset Co. February 2, 2010: Johnstown Police Ready To Assist With 9/11 Terror Trial If Necessary February 1, 2010: Accused 911 Mastermind's Trial Could Be Held In Western Pa. September 29, 2009: Success By 6: Students Remember 9/11 Attacks September 11, 2009: Bells Toll For Flight 93 Victims At Shanksville Crash Site September 3, 2009: Motorcycle Tribute Honors 9/11's Flight 93 September 1, 2009: Federal Government, Landowners Reach Agreement For Flight 93 Land August 25, 2009: Postal Service Marks Flight 93 Anniversary August 3, 2009: Flight 93 Fundraising Continues July 15, 2009: Former Steelers To Hold Fundraiser For Flight 93 Memorial September 11, 2008: Remembering Heroes Of Flight 93 September 11, 2008: McCain Pays Respects At Flight 93 Memorial September 11, 2008: Hundreds Gather At Flight 93 Memorial August 7, 2008: Work Begins On USS Somerset September 11, 2007: Local Memorial Services Honor 9/11 Victims July 27, 2007: Somerset County Donates $615,000 To 'Families Of Flight 93' June 6, 2007: Flight 93 Site Landowner Says He Won't Accept Money For Property March 1, 2007: Patrol Ends At Flight 93 Memorial September 12, 2006: United In Courage, Community And Commitment September 11, 2006: Airmen Stationed In Iraq Send Autographed Flag To Flight 93 Families March 27, 2006: Rumsfeld Comes To Somerset County September 13, 2005: Area Residents React To Flight 93 Movie July 23, 2004: 9-11 Commission's Report Reflects On Flight 93 Passengers September 9, 2003: Flight 93 Anniversary Ceremony