Special Programs Include Luminary Lighting, Commemorative Ceremony With Remarks by Dennis Hastert

August 21, 2014 - SHANKSVILLE, Pa.–Flight 93 National Memorial will honor the 40 passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 on the 13th anniversary of 9/11 with two days of special programs, culminating in the annual observance on Thursday, September 11, 2014. This year's commemoration will be highlighted by the first public display of the Congressional Gold Medal that will be presented to Flight 93 National Memorial by U.S. House and Senate leaders in a private ceremony at the United States Capitol on Wednesday, September 10.

Enacted on December 23, 2011, the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act directed that a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award the United States Congress can bestow, be struck for each of the 9/11 sites to honor the men and women who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks. The Flight 93 National Memorial medal will be presented at the memorial for the first time during the September 11 observance and will remain on display through Sunday, September 14.This will be the only opportunity to view the medal until it goes on permanent display in the new Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center, scheduled to be dedicated in September 2015.

The September 11 Observance will begin at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 11 at the Memorial Plaza. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert, who was Speaker on 9/11, will deliver remarks. At 10:03 a.m. –the moment Flight 93 crashed –the names of the passengers and crew members will be read and Bells of Remembrance will be rung in their memory. Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93, will also speak during the ceremony. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. No backpacks or large bags are permitted. There will be no seating available for the approximately 40-minute ceremony, although guests are permitted to bring their own chairs. The memorial will open at 8 a.m.;visitors are encouraged to arrive early to allow ample time for the shuttle ride from the parking area to the Memorial Plaza.

The Luminaria Program will take place on Wednesday, September 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. An array of 40 candle lanterns will be placed at the Wall of Names, serving as a silent and moving tribute to the tragic loss of life of the passengers and crew on Flight 93 in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Family members will carry lanterns in this solemn procession.

Updated information on these events will be available on the memorial website at www.nps.gov/flni.

If You Go

Flight 93 National Memorial is a tribute to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 and is a place to explore and discover their inspiring story of courage and hope.A 3.5 mile scenic drive leads visitors from the entrance at US Route 30 to the Memorial Plaza at the crash site where visitors may view panels in an outdoor exhibit area and learn more through cell phone tours;talk with Park Rangers and volunteer Ambassadors;participate in interpretive programs;view the field where Flight 93 crashed, which is the final rest­ing place of the passengers and crew;and walk along the Wall of Names.The Memorial Plaza is fully accessible;for specific details, contact the park at (814) 893-6322.

The memorial is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry at 6:30) from April through mid-October;9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 4:30) from mid-October through March. Admission is free of charge.Flight 93 National Memorial is located 20 miles northeast of Somerset and 24 miles west of Bedford;the entrance is located at 6424 Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in Stoystown, PA15563.For further information, visit www.nps.gov/flni or call (814) 893-6322.

About the Flight 93 National Memorial
On Sept. 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni