SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — The Friends of Flight 93 Speaker Series will go virtual this month, while the Flight 93 National Memorial Visitor Center and Learning Center remain closed following the CDC guidance.
The Friends first digital lecture series is scheduled to be broadcast live at 7 p.m. Thursday, and will feature Somerset County Coroner Wally Miller who played an integral role in the aftermath of the crash of Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. The link to register for the live Speaker Series is available at https://bit.ly/2ziCdHo.
Miller was one of the first local officials to reach the crash site near Shanksville on the morning of the 9/11 terror attacks. He assisted the FBI and other law enforcement authorities in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Miller also became a key liaison with the family members of the 40 passengers and crew members in the years after 2001, and during the development and growth of the national memorial.
The Flight 93 Speaker Series showcases individuals with direct ties to Flight 93 and the response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to share their personal experiences. The education programs provide a unique opportunity to hear stories from relatives of the passengers and crew members, local, regional and federal first responders, investigators, and others who share how the events of 9/11 changed their lives and the country.
Programs are usually held at the memorial’s Learning Center free of charge to the public, however, in response to the national health crisis the Friends have adapted the format to a new virtual series. This is the first of three new education programs offered to the public this year, which marks 19 years since 9/11. Additional Speaker Series programs will occur later this summer, including:
July — Flight 93 Family members Ed Root and Emily Schenkel will share stories on their loved one, United Airlines flight attendant Lorraine Bay, and their experiences at Flight 93 National Memorial over the past 19 years during the development and construction of the permanent memorial.
August — Tony James, Federal Aviation Administration air safety investigator and investigator in charge, who responded to the Flight 93 crash site on Sept. 11, 2001.
For more information on the Speaker Series or other programs and events supported by the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, visit http:// www.flight93friends .org/programs-events/ overview. To donate to support the Friends of Flight 93 and our educational programs, visit www.flight 93friends.org/donate.
On Sept. 24, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law 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 Sept. 11, 2001, gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on the nation’s capital. The memorial is near Shanksville, Pa., where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information on Flight 93 National Memorial visit www.nps.gov/flni.
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