[nimrod from enigma variations] [nimrod from enigma variations] [inaudible] [dvorak symphony 9, movement 2] [dvorak symphony 9, movement 2] good morning and welcome to flight 93 National Memorial. My name is sephen clark, and i have the high honor of serving as the superintendent of flight 93 National Memorial, one of over 400 sites within the National Parks system. The National Park service is honored and deeply humbled to serve as the steward of this moving memorial dedicated in memory of 40 amazing heroes. Ago, theay 18 years passengers and crew members of flight 93 bonded together and prevented their hijacked airplane from reaching its dc,nded target, washington, 18 minutes flying time from this location. Unquestionably they sacrificed their own lives to save so many. , thesince that moment special people have always been remembered as heroes, not just to americans but also many around the world. Extraordinary citizens who showed it incredible resilience under such circumstances. I would like to acknowledge the many dignitaries and representatives in attendance today eerie the Vice President of the United States america, by mike pence and second lady karen pence. [applause] i would like to recognize the secretary of the interior, mr. David earnhardt. [applause] senator and atate dear friend, mr. Pat stefano. [applause] guinea it of cannot tell you how honored and humbled we are, mr. President , to have you in attendance, with your group. It truly is an honor. Thank you. [applause] von reddicker from the empathy of the embassy in washington dc. Land of the National Parks foundation. Ago,tleman i met moments zukov can already say mr. Is going to be a tremendous partner. Finally, i would especially like to thank and acknowledge the families of the passengers and crew members of flight 93 joining us this morning. Thank you so much. [applause] at this time, i would like to extend a special thank you to the many volunteer ambassadors who represent flight 93 National Memorial on a daily basis and help connect visitors to the stories of these 40 amazing people. Ambassadorsnteer provide approximately 10,000 hours of their valuable time, which equals approximately 250,000 of inkind services. Absolutely astounding. [applause] gentlemen, i would also like to knowledge and thank our Law Enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, and members of our military for keeping this great nation safe each and every day. [applause] finally, to our local communities and their caring leaders to include shanksville, indian lake, stony creek township, and Somerset County itself, who have all provided tremendous and unwavering support to the development of this memorial over these many years. I think you all. [applause] , would you please stand as you are able for the national anthem, performed today by the river city brass band. That you remain standing brotherer paul britton of flight 93 passenger marion britton, leads us in a moment of unity. [national anthem plays] [applause] the hebrew poet, moved, filled with the presence of his god, her god, wrote these words for us. How very good and pleasant it is when kindred lived together in unity. It is like the precious oil on the head running down upon the cobblerunning over the on the road. Which fallshe dew on the mountain. Asgather together today kindred minds. Thought, memory, and in love. Ood and here to be a g pleasant gathering of sisters and brothers in our joint with one thought, thanksgiving for the 40, with the 40, withe for the 40 thatonor for they may bind us in this place and always into one community. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. 18 years ago this very day, a. M. ,ber 11, at 10 03 United Airlines flight 93 impacted the earth just several hundred feet from the very spot on which i stand. Flight 93ecial time, National Memorial ambassador and the president of a friends of flight 93 will read the met will the names of the passengers flight 93. Mbers of for each name, judy and jane, as ambassadors, will ring the bells of remembrance in their memory. Christian adams. Christian adams. [bell rings] lorraine g. Bay, Flight Attendant. [bell rings] [bell rings] todd m. Beamer. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] beaven. Anthony [bell tolls] [bell tolls] mark bingham. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Deora Frances bodley. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] bradshaw. Augh [bell tolls] [bell tolls] marion r. Britton. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] burnett, jr. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] William Joseph cashman. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] rose sister, georgine corrigan. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] patricia cushing. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] captain jason dahl. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] joseph deluca. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Patrick Joseph driscoll. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] felt. Ard porter [bell tolls] [bell tolls] jane c. Folger. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] colleen l. Fraser. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] garcia. W sonny [bell tolls] [bell tolls] jeremy logan glick. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Kristin Osterholm white gould. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas and unborn child. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] green, Flight Attendant. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Donald Freeman greene. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] linda gronlund. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] richard j. Guadagno. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] first officer leroy homer. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] toshiya kuge. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] looking forward to that great resurrection day, my love, ceecee ross lyles. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] hilda marcin. Hilda marcin. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] waleska martinez. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] nicole carol miller. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] our brother, Louis Joey Nacke ii. [bell tolls]toll peterson. Arthur [bell tolls] [bell tolls] hoadley peterson. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] mark david rothenberg. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Christine Ann snyder. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] talignani. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] honor elizabeth wainio. [bell tolls] [bell tolls] Deborah Jacobs welsh, flight s] [bell tolls] saidbert einstein once there are two ways to live your life. Is as as though nothing miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Today, we celebrate miracles. Beyond race, beyond create, beyond age. Beyond place of origin. In spite of the fact that most are strangers or alien to the other. Community was founded, strength infound, decisions were made. Hat was spur of the moment we celebrate the miracle of the 40. To realize that miracle lies in all of our our lives. All of is ouriracle possibility. Their 18 years ago is our today and tomorrow. Me in au to join with moment of silent prayer and meditation. Amen. Amen. And amen. It is my joy to introduce to you. Re open keynote speaker [applause] our keynote speaker, professor mitchell zuckoff. Here on the are anniversary of 9 11 in a time of hotly raging debates over the meaning of american values. Itm an author and professor im not here to be political. I am here to make the apolitical case that by their actions, their statements, and ultimately their shared sacrifice, that the passengers and crew members of united flight 93 should be emulated for representing the greatest of all american values. When they boarded that flight in newark, new jersey, they came from an array of backgrounds, they practiced a variety of religions, they held different views. By terroristted hijackers, these 40 strangers set aside individual interests. Through phone calls, they collected information about what happened at the World Trade Center and soon after at the pentagon. In mere minutes, they transformed into a cohesive unit and unstoppable force. Callsand again, in phone from the plan to the ground, they spoke of their planned uprising is a joint effort. Passenger tom burnett told his wife dina, a group of us are getting ready to do something. Flight attendant Sandy Bradshaw told her husband that some passengers were getting hot water from the galley. Someone said, a few of us are getting together. Ceecee lyles told her husband, we have a plan. Passenger jeremy glick told his wife liz that they were taking a vote. How american is that . Existential crisis, they decided to vote on a response. From the phone calls and recovered cockpit tapes, we know how that vote turned out. Andnow they banded together answered the call. We know they fought bravely. We know they battled to the end. At the cost of their own lives, forcedels of flight 93 the followers of al qaeda to crash the plane on the sacred ground we stand on today. They saved countless others in the u. S. Capitol or the white house, and gave us the first glimmer of hope in a terrible moment. Let me also note that the people, the good people of Somerset County, pennsylvania, did much of the same. They didnt ask who was on board the plane, where they were from, how they prayed. They only asked, how can we help . They have continued to do that every day since. Withtly, i was emailing the founder of the flight 93 ambassador program. About how i named all 40 passengers and crew members. We talked about why i wanted to list them all especially since i didnt name everyone aboard other hijacked planes. The truth is, i did feel i had any other choice. In my line of work, the goal is to know exactly what happened so i can convey it to readers. For united flight 93, some details will be lost to history when the plane struck the ground. I have made my peace with that and embraced it. The result is that we are compelled to celebrate every man and woman aboard that plane equally and collectively. Their story, like the american story, is about more than individual achievements and interests. It is about the power of what can be accomplished when people trust one another. In doing so, the men and women of flight 93 changed from strangers to partners, from fingers to a fist. As Abraham Lincoln said on another battlefield not far from here, it is the living to be dedicated here to the work that those who fought here have so far so nobly advanced. It is my view that the legacy of the passengers and crew of flight 93 was the cause of the common good. Witherica, the stranger different beliefs or background might become your greatest ally, your blood brother or sister. Or, perhaps, the internal andggle for life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Be open to that possibility. By doing so, we honor the sacrifice of the 40 heroes of flight 93 as the upmost embodiment of true american values. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you, professor. Ladies and gentlemen, from time to time, people come into your at that just know moment you meet them are something special. Of president of the families flight 93 is indeed one of those individuals. Of flightthe brother 93 passenger Edward Porter felt. Over the past few years, i have atten to know mr. Felt on personal level. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming mr. Gordie felt. [applause] gordie good morning. Mr. Vice president , secretary clark,dt, superintendent britton,ff, reverend distinguished guests. Nationhat serve our through their work with the National Park service, the ,light 93 National Memorial partners of the National Park service, National Park ofndation, and the friends flight 93, visitors, and families of flight 93. I welcome you all to our annual service to honor the 40 extraordinary heroes of united flight 93. Here we are again come a year since our last commemorative gathering. We have seen hundreds of thousands of give of visitors in the past 12 months passed through the gates and pay respects. Enabled theas flight 93 story to be shared with interested parties around the world. Attendance figures here in Somerset County continue to trend upward. Volunteerism at the memorial is strong and the efforts of the National Park service, we are seeing this ground come back to and through reforestation other critical projects designed to heal the land. School groups, veterans, andists, history buffs, concerned citizens of the world continue to be drawn to the sacred ground, and for good reason. Heritage timeur and time again speak of instances where, under the greatest of pressures, heroism is revealed in a time of crisis. Heroes,d ones, those 40 or remembered well and given the honor and dignity they deserve. May they rest peacefully, embraced in the loving arms of their families and those who may forever member their sacrifice. This sacred ground serves as a reminder to us all that the heroes of flight 93 helped to change the course of our history. Those individuals were private citizens on the morning of september 11, 2001. Because of their actions on that fated blue sky morning, their memory belongs to us all in their actions will inspire generations to come. For those who choose to remember, inspiration can help heal an eternal wound and provide solace to those who lost so much that morning. Our lives these last 18 years have taken a new course. Understanding the reasons for this pivot and the Lessons Learned leading up to this change are critical factors in ensuring that history cannot and will not repeat itself. Our task is to never forget that, if it were not for the action of the crewmembers and passengers of united flight 93, this pivot may have been far more drastic than already experienced. Imagine the implications and our countrys response to the attack on 9 11 if we witnessed the destruction of our capital building, and how much even more our lives would have been changed. Religious, who dies, who tells your story . A song from the musical hami up, asks, when my time is have i done enough . I cant imagine asking the 40 heroes who perished on this ground, giving their lives, and saving us from an even darker 11, 2001. Tember but how about you, how about me . Are we letting the Lessons Learned on september 11, 2001 affect decisions we are making filed thosehave we lessons away . I remind you that any one of us could have been aboard flight 93 that morning. Anyone of us could have been faced with the unspeakable horror of facing down people incarnate facing down evil incarnate. Anyone of us could have had to choose passivity under pressure or fighting to survive. How can we continue to be inspired by the heroes of flight 93 . I say to you that the genesis of our loved onespower emanated from three critical factors that are incorporated into our daily whilewhich serve us well honoring our heroes. Strengthee factors are through diversity. The crew and passengers of flight 93 were made up of citizens of many nations. Religions,f races, backgrounds, sexual orientations , various professions and passions, a spectrum of ages. The list of diversity goes on and on. This allowed for diverse experiences to help formulate the plan and quickly respond as modernday minutemen and women to the crisis before their eyes. The second factor, a commitment to democratic principles. Strength ones soft through collective action. We know that they formulated a plan, they prayed, and then they voted to move forward. Each crewmember was given it presumably took the opportunity to choose their own course of action. The only people on the flight trying to dictate terms that morning work overwhelmingly defeated. Thee, a willingness to make tough decisions, to do what is right, not what is easy. Faced with the unimaginable morning, our loved ones new that they could not just sit back. In a world that is becoming far more dangerous, the heroes chose to fight. Individualserse andulated a plan, voted, stood up and said no, we are coming for you. Concepts that seem simple when stated but so difficult to execute under pressure. Let us remember those principles and incorporate them into our daytoday lives, showing the world that we can be better. Let us continue to be inspired by the story of flight 93 and the memory of those 40 incredible individuals. Can rise and be extraordinary. Let us continually ask ourselves, to paraphrase linma is, miranda, when our time have we done enough . Thank you. [applause] [applause] james comer thank you once you oncejames, thank again, to you and your entire band. [applause] at this time, i would like to introduce the secretary of the department of the interior, david bernhardt. Secretary bernhardt was confirmed on april 11 of this year. He leads an agency with more please, who are monument,d including wildlife refuge, and National Park sites just like this one. Please join me in welcoming secretary david bernhardt. [applause] secretary bernhardt good morning. Script forto go off the first time in my life. I am going to say, there have been some great speeches in American History given outside in the state of pennsylvania. Speech washink your one of the most eloquent set of remarks i have ever seen. President , misses pence, thers. National park service, my fellow americans, i am joining you i am honored to join you today as we recognize and remember the lives lost on flight 93 18 years ago. Each of us know exactly where we the fewthis day, one of days in American History where the nation and the world seemed to stand still. We will never forget how this transformed us as a people and a nation. Lost innize the lives the twin towers, the pentagon, and right here in pennsylvania. But this year is unique. Americans borng after the attacks have enrolled in college where they will join many peers who have no direct memory of what transpired. For them, 9 11 is an historical event, a date. The flight 93 National Memorial is vital in sharing our story with that of the world. Monuments that the apartment of the interiors National Park service partisters our an integral of our