CHALLENGE #9 – Answered…the Tower of Voices

While not really a military remembrance, its still a very important memorial…

WHAT TOWER AM I?

No denying the fact that this post will be less humorous and a bit more intense than the typical Traveling with PugsleyTonks. Challenge #9 is the Tower of Voices. This monument is the latest memorial to the victims of the Flight 93 terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The tower is a relatively recent construct that marks the gateway to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. This memorial is not really close to anything. The closest “town” is Stoystown or Shanksville, PA….about an hour and half southeast of Pittsburgh.

The Tower of Voices is a 93 feet tall musical tribute to the courageous passengers and crew members that died when Flight 93 crashed into this field on 9/11. The tower consists of 40 chimes…one for each of the voices whose final moments were spent battling the terrorists that took over their flight. As the wind blows, these 40 aluminum chimes create a living musical memorial to the tragic and heroic events of that day.

I feel I would be negligent if I did not say a bit about the rest of the Flight 93 National Memorial. There is no denying the drive there will be out of your way…but, its worth it. Its a small, but very well done memorial. As you walk towards the Visitor Center, you actually walk on a path that follows the final seconds of the flight path of Flight 93. This walkway leads to an overlook where you get the big picture of the crash site and debris field.

The Memorial commonly refers to the area where the plane went down as the “debris field”…for obvious reasons. But, beyond the debris, its also the remains of the victims. Not surprisingly, due to the magnitude of the destruction, very little of the human remains were recovered. The majority of the remains were completely burned away or remain in some form as part of this debris field. So, the debris field is treated as a sacred cemetery. You can look at the debris field, but rightly so…you can not walk on it. The only exception is the annual September 11 anniversary of the crash. On that day, each year, the family members of the 40 victims are allowed to walk out on the debris field and pay their respects to their lost loved ones.

Just to complete the picture, the Memorial also has a Visitor Center for you to visit. The Center contains all the information and relics that you would expect. For me, the most heart wrenching exhibit in the Center is the recorded phone messages from victims to their families. The passengers and crew all called someone in the final moments of the flight. If the family members did not answer their final call…the call went to the answering machines. These answering machine recordings are an extremely intense and emotional remembrance of the tragic events of that day. If these recordings do not move you…you are not right. Visit this place! Never Forget! PT