Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 11 Digital Archive Stories Description An account of the resource This collection is the bulk of the archive, representing the reactions and experiences of thousands of individuals beginning in 2002. 911DA Story 911DA Story: Story Tell us about what you did, saw, or heard on September 11th. Feel free to write as much or as little as you like. Tell us your story: At the Memorial overlooking the crash site of UAL's Flight #93 I thanked the Memorial Ambassador for her volunteer work. Her reply was a simple "It is the least we can do." After spending the day in the community I realized that the spirit of America lives here. They did so much more. On 9/11 I was a volunteer working in the Emergency Room of Loudoun County Hospital near Leesburg, VA. We heard of the tragedies in NYC and the Pentagon and were told that a UAL aircraft was somewhere over Pennsylvania and was headed our way. As we set up for mass disaster my heart went out to the flight attendants on board that aircraft. I traveled to Shanksville with my daughter Christine. She is a Research Assistant working on the 911 project at George Mason U. (www.911digitalarchive.org) and has visited before and knew many of the individuals we met that day. Her purpose was to further outreach to the community and to preserve the history of Flight #93 and the aftermath on-line. My purpose in visiting was to place flowers at the crash site and to give prayer for the passengers and crew. Most importantly, I wanted to pay my respects to the Flight Attendants who perished. As a retired flight attendant with thirty-five years of service and a widow of a retired UAL pilot expected a sad time. The day started with a Parade led through the small town lined with thousands by the new tanker of the Shanksville Fire Department "United Flight 93." On it were the forty names of those lost in the crash. They were followed by sixty-five other rescue vehicles and volunteers from the surrounding area. A multitude of floats and groups patriotically participated in the parade. Two-hundred and seventy-three people dressed in red, white, and blue finished the parade becoming a "Living Flag." On the sports fieldnear the school (one mile from the crash site) there was a wonderful program of tribute with everything one would normally find at a Fourth celebration but also so much more. The music included "We Shall Rise" and "Flying Home." The Keynote Address was given by Wally Miller, Somerset County Coroner, who spoke of the crash and who promised that the site would forever be hallowed ground. I understand from others that he insisted the charred trees be turned into chips and scattered there. Wally said that the families of the victims would know that they were always welcome and the townspeople would be there to support them. It was an honor to shake his hand. We met the Mayor, Ernest Stull who worked so hard on preserving the site and making it accessible and who takes great pride in his community and the work that they have done. We met also with Judy Baeckel whose husband is the Fire Chief and who put up the first memorial in their front yard and sponsored a float in the parade with forty stars representing the forty who were lost. We spoke with the Captain Jo Shade, police officer and second on the scene who worked with recovery efforts. She is a native American who spoke of the spirituality and sanctity of the land at the crash site. My favorite spot was the Memorial Garden at the Shanksville-Stonycreek School. Markers with famous sayings are placed throughout along with a sculpture featuring the handprints of students, rescue workers and others involved in the events of 9/11. The garden with red, white and blue flowers, memorial benches and paths is a very special place. We then went to the Memorial Site where we met with the Memorial Ambassador. Shortly after the crash a churchmember stood in front of her congregation and asked for volunteers with a carefully thoughtout plan. They stayed there throughout the days following 9/11 and the bitterly cold winter to explain and preserve. There is a special flag at the Memorial with two white bars representing the twin towers, a Pentagon, five stars with fifty points of light for our states, three red bars representing the blood that was spilled. In the center is the Keystone of Pennsylvania. The curator at the museum has catalogued over one-thousand items left at the site including a flight attendant dress placed there. For weeks afterwards people would lay flowers on it. The poem "The Dress" may also be found there. At the site are many tributes. My favorite are the forty angels with names of the passengers and crew. We said our prayers and left flowers and I, of course, cried. It took a while for me to realize why Shanksville in Somerset County is the most important crash site of 9/11. The Twin Towers represented the business, economy and prosperity of the US. The Pentagon represented the might and power of America. Shanksville, Somerset County and its people represent the goodness and kindness and determination of the American people. I expected a sad day but the pride of the people and the American spirit proved it to be a day of hope, history and pride. A beautiful memory was left in my mind. The passengers and crew represent sacrifice and bravery. As the words of "Flying Home" say: ".......Forty souls with destinations, every heart loved here below, Lifting off the earth together, how could they ever know? They would come home on wings of angels, From a field where flowers grow..............Flying home, flying home, Heroes, Friends and Family, living on and on, they have left but have not gone, they will rise with every dawn......." Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource story1019.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. story Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-08-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 129.174.27.190 Annotation Annotations to this item. Memorials/Vigils (location or person) Police Officers Politics and politicians Rescue/clean-up workers/volunteers Somerset, PA DC:2