Flight 93 Memorial Site
(I apologize for the graphics. This will take a while to load.)
I drove down to the Flight 93 Memorial Site yesterday, to pay my respects, and to see if what I had heard was true. And although I would put nothing past the liberals, there is no taint there now. The site of the crash is indeed in a bowl-shaped valley (we’re in the Alleghenies; we have lots of valleys), just down the road from a coal mine. There is no crescent of red maples — though if you flew over it, no doubt the trees that naturally line the valley would look like a crescent. I think the red maples were part of the proposed design, which has been withdrawn.
Shanksville is deep in rural south-central Pennsylvania. Flags in front of every house. Not a Kerry bumpersticker in sight. A turkey shoot at the local church (advertised on the sign in front). Conservative and patriotic, and nothing blue state about it. You have to drive out in the country to get there, and it isn’t marked well until you’re almost there (but it’s not hard to find; if you want directions, email me and I can get you there easily).
About three miles past Shanksville, there is a road to the coal mine, the mine on whose land the plane crashed. When I turned right and started up the hill, I felt as if I was weighted down somehow. Rush was on; I turned the radio off. Sound seemed disrespectful, somehow. I climbed the hill, past the coal mine on the right. When I got to the top and started down, I saw it, almost as if it jumped out of the ground. Stark. In the middle of nowhere. Undisturbed by roads or traffic.
I understood that there was as yet no memorial, but as I pulled into the parking lot, I thought, "Surely, they deserve better than this." There are porta-potties there, and only a shack with the national park service sign on it, for the ambassadors, the locals who volunteer to work there. As I got out and walked toward the site, I still had that contradictory feeling that this was sacred, yet too little had been done.
As I drew closer, close enough that I could clearly see, I began to feel the power of the memorial. Began, I said. When I first saw the railings, and the magnets and stickers that lined them, I felt that they were tacky.
I walked past the ambassadors’ shack straight ahead, toward what looked like a grave on the end. I saw the first memorial, left perhaps by a relative, perhaps by a friend or coworker. I stopped. And as I looked, I felt that weight again.
I passed slowly to my right, and saw the next. And the next. And then a line of flags. As I drew closer to the flags, I saw that there was a flag for each of the heroes on the plane, and each hero had an angel with his or her name on it. Some of the angels had rosaries, some had scapulars; some also had pictures.
And then I looked up, out across the field, and I saw it. There was nothing to identify it, but I knew what it was. I knew why that large flag was flying alone, almost at the line of trees, so far away, yet so close. That is when the full power of the memorial hit me, when I felt the presence of those heroes. And I had to fight back the tears.
I stood and looked out across the field at the place where they had made the ultimate sacrifice for a long time. I could not pull myself away to look at the rest of the memorial for some time. I could only look and feel sorrow and grief and anger. But finally, I tore my eyes away and continued to my right, and saw the cross, so Roman Catholic with all the pictures and rosaries and small crosses left there, and several people kneeling in prayer.
I got it, suddenly, as I looked at the cross, even before I saw the fence. This is a memorial in the most honest, most sincere, and most democratic sense, a wholly American expression of gratitude, patriotism, grief, sorrow, pride, and anger. This is not some vision of an artist or architect. This is sacred ground, where we come to respect the dead, acknowledge our heroes, meditate and pray. This is a place where we leave a part of ourselves as a testament to those whose memory we honor.
I realized that these heroes do not deserve better. They already have the best. And I started walking slowly down the fence, both sides covered with things people brought and left, license plates, baseball caps, crosses and medals, patches, and things they made with their hands.
Atop the fence, memorial flags whip in the strong wind. They crest this peoples’ memorial, these tokens of respect and honor visitors have left, and give powerful voice to those who will never forget and never forgive.
This is a holy place, an American memorial. These people have come to honor the heroes of Flight 93. This place is proudly American, proudly patriotic, and is as yet uncorrupted by liberal hand-wringing or "healing" bells. The emotions are raw and honest: anger, defiance, pride, gratitude, sorrow, and grief. There is no apology here, no liberal "it was really our fault" presence. This is a place where Americans come to honor, and yes mourn, their American heroes.
The point at which I almost broke down came when I was back at the fence, looking closely at the momentos. I then saw, on the ground at the bottom, a rock somebody had painted. That one testament, created by someone’s hands, captured the whole of the memorial in one place — and I came very close to crying.
You made us believe in heroes. Yes, there is the memorial, everything together, distilled into its most essential. Almost childlike, with the bear, yet so powerful and so heart rending, so utterly pure in its message. You made us believe in heroes.
As soon as I got in my car, I cried. I cried for all those heroes who gave their lives. I cried for all the heroes in uniform. I cried for those who were murdered on that day. I cried for the people who had come to honor that place and their dead.
Now that I have been, and now that I have had time to reflect on it, I would prefer that nothing be done. No grand memorial, no grand vision of some great artist or architect, because no vision can be more honest, more pure, and more powerful than what is there now. I realize that won’t happen, but I hope that they leave that place where people can leave a part of themselves. I hope they leave what is there alone, adding if they must, some memorial building. But leave the people, those who came to memorialize, to pray, to honor their dead heroes, leave that place where they in turn leave a part of themselves. Nothing could be more appropriate, or more moving.
Badger Blogger » Blog Archive » Flight 93 Memorial Site:
[…] rightwingnation.com: Flight 93 Memorial Site […]
October 1, 2005, 10:22 amPatrick (BadgerBlogger):
Wow, a very moving tribute. Your commentary was…Wow
October 1, 2005, 10:23 amMarty:
Thank you
October 1, 2005, 10:30 amKarl:
I hope they’ll eventually come around and do something similar at the WTC site, now that they’ve scuttled that “museum” idea. This webpage demonstrates how better it is to let us all mourn in our own way rather than have our mourning taken over by a committee with “best intentions.” You’re right that this is the most democratic and American way to memorialize what happened. Excellent job.
October 1, 2005, 11:26 amjimmyb:
Wow, indeed.
Great pics and observations, Prof.
Sobering.
Can I use that last pic on my site to link to this article?
Thanks, in advance.
CUG
October 1, 2005, 12:47 pmGunnNutt:
Wow dittos! Thanks Prof. for such a terrific report. I’m going to steal a pic as well. :)
October 1, 2005, 2:00 pmThe Gunn Nutt:
A Visit to Shanksville
This is just one of many great photos and comments from the Professor at RightWingNation, who went to see for himself the site of the crash of Flight 93.
October 1, 2005, 2:22 pmweaver:
raw and honest indeed. as is your tribute. thank you.
October 1, 2005, 7:51 pmthad lucken:
thanks for the words,
October 1, 2005, 10:12 pmain’t it great to be an American!!!
come over to www.iraqthemodel.com sometime and see the fruits of their sacrifice.
Ex-Donkey Blog:
Reflections On A Field In Pennsylvania
The good professor of Right Wing Nation made a pilgrimage to the sight in Shanksville, PA where Flight 93 was driven into the ground on 9/11 because its crew and passengers understood that they were to be used as a…
October 1, 2005, 10:53 pmThe Blue State Conservatives:
Maybe the Memorial is Already There
Right Wing Nation had an incredible post about his visit to the site of Flight 93’s crash into the Pennsylvania countryside. he brings up an excellent point: Does there even need to be a memorial there at all? His photos…
October 2, 2005, 1:44 amFrank Laughter:
You’re right professor. It’s hard to see how they can improve on the memorial that is already there.
October 2, 2005, 7:03 amCommon Sense Junction » Blog Archive » Flight 93Memorial: Is It Already There?:
[…] I walked past the ambassadors’ shack straight ahead, toward what looked like a grave on the end. I saw the first memorial, left perhaps by a relative, perhaps by a friend or coworker. I stopped. And as I looked, I felt that weight again. […]
October 2, 2005, 8:11 amThe Conservative UAW Guy:
Wow.
The Prof always does a great job of blogging, but he outdid himself on this one.
October 2, 2005, 2:41 pmmama:
I hope you will send this narrative and its pictures to whoever is in charge of monuments. You have done a superior job of making your journey and your feelings come alive. My amish computer wouldn’t open the last four pictures, but the message was so clear - and so powerful - even without them. Congratulations on a job well done, and thank you for bringing this poignant experience home to those of us who will not be able to get there in person. I don’t know of any equally moving tribute to the NY site.
October 2, 2005, 3:38 pmJustthinkin:
Prof…beautiful post…I am stealing a pic and linking you to my site in Canada. We need something like this up here, more than ever now.
October 2, 2005, 5:53 pmKatey:
I echo the sentiments said by many…
Wow.
Thank you for a very moving tribute.
October 2, 2005, 8:02 pmJack:
Beautiful, thanks.
October 2, 2005, 9:54 pmCommon Sense Junction » Blog Archive » Liberaltarian? You nailed it professor:
[…] Last night (thanks to The Blue State Conservatives) I made a wonderful discovery at Right Wing Nation concerning the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania. I excerpted some stuff here but the original is better so I would suggest going there. […]
October 2, 2005, 10:40 pmbob:
No cliche seems appropriate to comment on this terrific post. There is an elegance in the simplicity of your pictures that no artsy-fartsy liberal memorial can come close to matching. This is now a memorial built by the American people. If there is to be a building on the site, let it be a simple one intended preserve the thousands of simple testimonials and remembrances of the heroes of Flight 93.
October 3, 2005, 1:15 pmThank you, Professor.
rightwingprof:
Everybody has been leaving such nice comments, and I don’t want any of you to think I’m ignoring you. Other than thanks, there’s really very little to say after being there. Well, there is. Go, if you can. I can give you directions. If you can’t, contact the Flight 93 Memorial Project and express your concerns. Or write your representative. I don’t want the same thing to happen here that almost happened to Ground Zero in NYC.
There’s no reason to be hostile when you contact them. That won’t get us anywhere. But express yourself clearly, and leave no room for ambiguity.
Again, thank you.
October 3, 2005, 1:28 pmDaniel Levesque:
Very nice posting. You really went the distance. I’m impressed.
http://ravingconservative.blogspot.com
October 3, 2005, 8:33 pmDaniel Levesque:
Nice posting. You really went the distance. I’m impressed.
http://ravingconservative.blogspot.com
October 3, 2005, 8:36 pmDaniel Levesque:
By the way, I’m giving you a sidebar link on my blog. This is good stuff!
http://ravingconservative.blogspot.com
October 3, 2005, 8:49 pmrightwingprof:
You weren’t on my blogroll. You are now.
Good stuff.
October 4, 2005, 7:30 pmSteve the Pirate:
Carnival of Procrastination!
Procrastination Showcase!
…er, New Blog Carnival Showcase!
Okay, so we’re about two days late with the New Blog Carnival. I’ve had trouble with the STP email server-thingy for the past week and I’ve had things vanish, reappear, and then vani…
October 5, 2005, 1:44 pmkaleidoscope:
I visited this site nearly 2 years ago and felt as though I was entering sacred ground as we drew closer.
October 9, 2005, 1:08 am. Once there, I was humbled beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. Thank you so much for your wonderful entry and story!
Dan:
Thank you very much. Your description of the place makes me
think that a higher power was somehow directing everything
that went on in that plane on that day. It is as though
the place the plane crashed was hand picked by the higher
power as it seems as though a better place could not have
been selected. Whatever the terrorists had in mind that
day was defeated by those brave heroes who almost seemed to
have been hand picked and inspired by the higher power.
Again, thanks for this memorial that you typed.
Dan
October 17, 2005, 2:21 pmNightcrawler:
Awesome. The power of the memorial comes through the pictures. The sense of sanctification those brave men and women lent to the place remains after all this time. Thank you for sharing that with us.
October 20, 2005, 10:43 pmBrainster:
Awesome post, and the bit at the end had me grabbing for the hankies. Thanks!
November 30, 2005, 2:44 pmjames white:
THIS IS SO SAD AND UNBELIEVEABLE, BUT ITS SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAPPENED TO US. I THINK IT’S GREAT THAT WE AMERICANS CAN UNITE AND SHOW OUR SUPPORT!!!!
JAMES
February 5, 2006, 12:12 amMODESTO, CA.
RS:
That some Flight 93 passengers “fought like warrior poets” is encouraging for our future. For surely “we the people†are able (but are we willing?) to recapture the bridge of the ship of state, and seize the helm from postmodernist hijackers. See: www.tell-usa.org/flight93
May 26, 2006, 5:53 amMelissa Hernandez:
you know what if it werent for the people on that plane bush woudnt be alive and i appreciate those people alot i just cant stand what bush is doing to the usa because he makes the latin and black people go to the war and the people who are at the war fight there lives for us and then he kicks out the immigrants that are fighting his lives for him and that is just dissapointing.
i am 10 years old and i cant believe what he is doing to this country it is just uppseting and i beleive in the people who fout there lives for us!!!
June 15, 2006, 7:03 pmJesse:
awesome…moving… thank you. after watching flight 93 movie, i have to have to make my own pilgrimage…..
August 16, 2006, 10:29 pmTeresa:
This memorial touched my soul, and brought tears to my eyes. I hope they will leave the site alone, leave it as it is, simple, honest. I watched the movie tonight fliight 93 and it brought it all back, the sorrow, angry, grief. Just wanted to say I was touched by this site, and what a wonderful tribute to those hero’s who risked their lives for us all. They truly are America’s Hero’s.
August 19, 2006, 11:09 pmRS:
Flight 93 helped Americans to believe, once more, in heroes. For an article on how it will take similar heroics to save this country, see
August 20, 2006, 3:36 amwww.tell-usa.org/flight93