All images in this post are mine except the above one which is from: http://www.donnan.com/Flight_93.htm(Be sure to visit this site; it contains detailed information and more photos.)
On Tuesday, I went to Somerset, PA, for a business meeting. I arrived there late afternoon, so I decided to visit the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial.
See the little American flag in the center of the above photo?
Flight 93 crashed there on September 11, 2001, in the area between the American flag and the trees.
Visitors to the site are not permitted to go down to the ground where the plane came down; that honor is reserved for the family and close friends of those who died that day.
A visitor to the temporary memorial drives up a little hill, and I dare to say that not many people are prepared for what they will see. Once over the hill, the visitor is greeted by an expansive open field. The whole sky is wide open before you! I'll bet that one can see for hundreds of miles.
I am glad that I got to visit the temporary memorial before construction begins on the permanent national memorial. I also was fortunate to see "Ground Zero" in New York City in 2003.
But I got really choked up seeing the site in Somerset. I was thinking about how merciful Allah (swt) is. For real, if that plane would have gone down anywhere else except in that field, there would have been a lot more injury and death. For example, there are two state prisons in Somerset. Imagine if the plane would have crashed there? Or in the town? Ya Allah.
Below are some pictures I took. I was only able to take these before my camera battery died. We are scheduled to have a conference near there in October, and Insha Allah, I will visit the memorial site again and be prepared with extra batteries.
Many people have left numerous items and momentos at the site.
I left a tasbih.
On Tuesday, I went to Somerset, PA, for a business meeting. I arrived there late afternoon, so I decided to visit the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial.
See the little American flag in the center of the above photo?
Flight 93 crashed there on September 11, 2001, in the area between the American flag and the trees.
Visitors to the site are not permitted to go down to the ground where the plane came down; that honor is reserved for the family and close friends of those who died that day.
A visitor to the temporary memorial drives up a little hill, and I dare to say that not many people are prepared for what they will see. Once over the hill, the visitor is greeted by an expansive open field. The whole sky is wide open before you! I'll bet that one can see for hundreds of miles.
I am glad that I got to visit the temporary memorial before construction begins on the permanent national memorial. I also was fortunate to see "Ground Zero" in New York City in 2003.
But I got really choked up seeing the site in Somerset. I was thinking about how merciful Allah (swt) is. For real, if that plane would have gone down anywhere else except in that field, there would have been a lot more injury and death. For example, there are two state prisons in Somerset. Imagine if the plane would have crashed there? Or in the town? Ya Allah.
Below are some pictures I took. I was only able to take these before my camera battery died. We are scheduled to have a conference near there in October, and Insha Allah, I will visit the memorial site again and be prepared with extra batteries.
Many people have left numerous items and momentos at the site.
I left a tasbih.
1 comment:
Oh Safiyyah, Mashallah. I am so glad you got to visit and was moved to tears by your photos. And really just the memory of that day being SUCH a beautiful blue skies one. I haven't been keeping up, but am all for leaving the memorial there. I think this is well worth buying the land from the private owner for. Love you.
PS-My Grandfather was born in Wilkes Barre. Also, I visited famed Turkish leader Fethullah Gulen in the Poconos a month before 9-11. When you write, I can feel the beauty of that area.
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