Flight 93 Memorial groundbreaking today, Tom Ridge, Ed Rendell write about its meaning

November 7, 10:31 AMNational Parks Travel ExaminerMarilyn Crain

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Flight 93 National Memorial image  Photo Credit: NPS

Today, November 7, 2009, a ground breaking ceremony is taking place at the Flight 93 National Memorial, a short distance from the impact site on Skyline Road near the temporary memorial.

Update: See video and photo gallery below or go to photo gallery now.

Joining the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, are elected officials including Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, U.S. Senator Bob Casey, and U.S. Representatives John Murtha and Bill Shuster. In addition, members of the Families of Flight 93, officials representing the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, the Flight 93 Advisory Commission and the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, as well as others – including first responders – are participating.

“This groundbreaking will mark a critical step in fulfilling the sacred promise we made to build an inspiring permanent Flight 93 National Memorial that honors our loved ones and will educate generations about their heroic actions. We are indebted to Secretary Salazar, our elected officials, and our other Memorial partners for their commitment to making this milestone a reality,” said Gordon Felt, president, Families of Flight 93.

“Meeting this milestone will give renewed momentum to our mission - creating a fitting National Memorial to the 40 Flight 93 heroes who lost their lives in freedom’s name,” said John Reynolds, chairman, Flight 93 Advisory Commission.

“Achieving this milestone will reflect the steady progress that we have made and must keep making, so that we meet the goal of dedicating the Flight 93 National Memorial by September 11, 2011,” said Flight 93 Memorial Task Force co-chair Jerry Spangler.

This morning, in the Washington Post, Tom Ridge, former head of Homeland Security and Pennsylvania Governor Ec Rendell collaborated on a column about the meaning of the Flight 93 National Memorial.

They said, "Creating a national park, a space that stands equal to the great sequoias, the Grand Canyon or the simple grace of the Lincoln Memorial, is no small undertaking. But our nation engages in such developments to help preserve our most important lands and lessons for ourselves and future generations." Read the rest of the column, simply titled, A call to service from Flight 93 ...

What the image above depicts: "The image is an aerial view from the bowl looking towards the Sacred Ground. to the left in the background, a walkway approaches from an arrival court along the edge of and overlooking the Sacred Ground. The walkway eventually widens in from of a ceremonial gate, shown in bronze, and the wall of names, comprised of 40 panels of 3 inch thick slabs of polished white granite, 8 feet tall, each inscribed with a name of the 40 heroes. Two walls flanking the gate are clad in polished white granite and the flight path is paved with black granite. Beyond the gate is the impact site, shown planted with wildflowers, and the hemlock grove beyond." Paul Murdoch, Architect.

For more info: Flight 93 National Memorial

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Flight 93 Memorial ground breaking to come in November 2009

Flight 93 National Memorial--8th annual September 11 commemoration 

Video of today's ceremony: