We’d talked for years about visiting this site, because we know people with whom we can stay in Johnstown, PA. From there it’s less than an hour’s drive.
Unlike its sister memorials in New York City and Arlington, VA, the Flight 93 Memorial is in the countryside, insulated by distance from the sights and sounds of city life. Somerset County, PA, is largely farmland, with an overall population density of only 70 per square mile, compared to 557 for Burlington County, NJ, and 66,940 for Manhattan (Wikipedia data).
This tranquil setting was not the planners’ choice; it was where the airliner crashed—well short of its intended target, thanks to the heroic action of its passengers and crew. All of them, of course, were killed instantly by the impact, which also set fire to an adjacent hemlock grove.
A large boulder, visible from a distance but not accessible to visitors, marks the spot where the plane hit.
I was surprised at my gut reaction to this place. From the Visitor Center with its detailed description of each individual victim and the minute-by-minute timeline right up to the end; to the symbolic representation of the hemlocks engraved in walkway, wall, and window; to the alignment of overlook, Wall of Names, and boulder—hundreds of feet apart—all directly under the flight path; to the forty groves each with forty trees planted in honor of the forty victims; even to the coincidental view of a distant windfarm, whose turbines can conjure up images of airliners in the prepared mind; and by no means least, to the serene landscape in which one can meditate upon events still fresh in the minds of all who live in our community; I found the experience deeply moving.
Visitors who do not want to drive all the way can take the Amtrak Pennsylvanian to Johnstown (a picturesque ride west of Harrisburg, including the famous Horseshoe Curve) and rent a car there.