Visitors to Flight 93 hope young Americans keep memory alive

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Millions of Americans remember where they were the moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Many looking to pay their respects to the lives lost that day visited the Flight 93 National Memorial ahead of the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

“I have a hair salon, I had client in the room,” said Deb Styer, a visitor to the monument. “And we’re watching the Today Show and we’re just staring at the TV.”

Dawn Alder, another visitor, said she watched on TV after coming into the room and noticing others crying.

But for the youngest Americans born after that day, 9/11 is another lesson in history.

“September 11 is one of those days that is frozen in time,” said Katie Hostetler, Public Information Officer at the Flight 93 National Memorial. One of Hostetler’s duties as a Park Ranger is to help educate those that visit the memorial about the events of that day to help keep the history alive. “And for those of us that lived through it, it is a deeply rooted memory and we have to continue to share that memory. So what we have is a live memory. But the next generation will have a shared memory.”

The Flight 93 National Memorial, dedicated to the passengers and crew aboard United Airlines Flight 93, the fourth of the hijacked planes in the terrorist attacks, will hold a moment of remembrance to honor those lives lost on the 23rd anniversary.

“That morning, through a series of phone calls, passenger and crew members figure out what’s going on in New York City, at the Pentagon, and they start putting together this story and they decide by taking a vote that they’re going to do something,” Hostetler said. “It ends up crashing here in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.”

The ceremony will start at 9:45 a.m. and will include the ringing of the ceremonial bells and the reading of the names of each crew member and passenger that were aboard Flight 93. But visitors to memorial hope that in remembering the tragedy, the lives saved are also remembered.

“I would just want them to to look online or whatever and watch everything that happened that day and really focus on how many people were lost or how many people weren’t lost because the towers weren’t full, the planes weren’t full. And I thank god they weren’t full,” Styer said.

Get the latest news, weather forecasts and sports stories delivered straight to your inbox! Sign up for our newsletters .

Hostetler said those planning on attending the events on 9/11 should arrive at least one hour early, know what items are and are not permitted at the memorial and be prepared for the weather as the ceremony will take place rain or shine.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.