On Tuesday, September 11, 2018, I was fortunate enough to go to Flight 93 with two of my colleagues, Cennedi Fry and Taylor Weaver, to attend a service at the memorial, marking 17 years since the September 11 attacks on America.

On that fateful day back in 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed when 4 commercial airliners were hijacked by al Qaeda terrorists and were used to strike targets on the ground. Because of the heroic actions of 40 passengers and crew aboard Flight 93, the attack on the United States Capitol was avoided when the passengers charged the overtaken cockpit and crashed the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The memorial service attracted hundreds of people including donors to Flight 93, many news outlets, the general public, and the family members of the 40 people who were killed in the plane crash. The event also featured speakers such as Tom Wolf, the 47th and current Governor of Pennsylvania; Mark Schweiker, the 44th Governor of Pennsylvania; Gordon Felt, the President of the Families of Flight 93; Ryan Zinke, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior; Stephen Clark, the Superintendent of Flight 93 National Memorial; and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, accompanied by the First Lady, Melania Trump.

The two things that stood out about that day however, was the opportunity we got to interview Governor Schweiker and listening to the President speak.

Governor Schweiker said “The passenger heroes and crew members of Flight 93 gave the ultimate sacrifice in the name of protecting our freedoms, so one day out of the year to reflect on what it takes for freedom and it’s protection is the least we can provide for the families and for that matter, American society.” Coming from a military family, I know what freedom means. My family has been protecting that freedom since my dad was a little kid.

Governor Schweiker defined the passengers as untrained soldiers by saying that they were “one of the more remarkable military units in the history of the country.” Governor Schweiker was truly a remarkable, smart, kind, funny man in the way he speaks and cares for the country.

It was an honor to hear President Trump speak and be in the presence of him and the First Lady. In my opinion, this was one of his best speeches. It was all about unification and being strong, which is what I think the nation needs to hear right now. He said, “On that day, not only did the world change, but we all changed. Our eyes were opened to the depths of the evil we face. But in that hour of darkness, we also came together with renewed purpose. Our differences never looked so small, our common bonds never felt so strong.” His poetic words were empowering because it showed that we as a nation can come back from anything and put aside our differences to work towards a common goal. When it comes to protecting the freedoms of the country we love and pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes on the flag, unification is possible.

We got to see the incredible new monument at the memorial site called The Tower of Voices. This amazing ninety-three foot tall tower consists of forty aluminum chimes ranging eight to sixteen inches in diameter and approximately five to ten feet in length. Each chime is for each passenger and crew member killed in the plane crash. The size of the tower directly correlates to the flight number of the plane. The unique “c” shaped design allows for wind to blow through the open spaces which permits the each of the forty chimes to produce their own, unique, beautiful sound.

I really enjoyed Flight 93 to commemorate 17 years since the September 11 attacks on America. From Governor Schweiker and the President speaking, to the visiting the new Tower of Voices, I left with a new meaning of what September 11 is really about.