WASHINGTON -- The National Park Service and local officials
where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed asked a congressional
subcommittee on Tuesday to support a bill to expedite a national
memorial at the Sept. 11 crash site.
Somerset County Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes testified
that stories she heard from those scouring the crash site of the
terrorist-hijacked jet convinced her it was hallowed ground.
"Piece by piece, the puzzle came together and we soon realized
that the smoldering crater in an abandoned strip mine in Stonycreek
Township marked more than the scarred earth of a plane crash,"
Tokar-Ickes testified. "It cradled the remains of individuals who
exemplified the highest of human ideals."
U.S. Rep. John Murtha, the Johnstown Democrat who represents the
12th Congressional District where the plane crashed, wants a
national memorial at the site to be maintained by the National Park
Service.
Investigators believe some of the 40 passengers and crew who
died fought with the four hijackers and caused the plane to crash
into a field near Shanksville, about 80 miles southeast of
Pittsburgh, instead of its apparent target in Washington.
In testimony before the House Resource Committee's Subcommittee
on National Parks, federal officials noted that Murtha's bill would
dispense with the 50 years for a site to earn national memorial
designation.
Earlier this year, Murtha obtained $1 million to secure the
crash site with guards and fences. Murtha, a 27-year veteran of
Congress, is the ranking member on the House Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee.
Click here to review the Somerset crash site in pictures.
Previous Stories:
- June 11, 2002: Flight 93 Widow Visits Sewickley School
- May 31, 2002: Giuliani Delivers Message Of Courage To Grads
- March 24, 2002: FBI: Flight 93 Relatives May Hear Tapes
- March 11, 2002: Shanksville Commemorates Crash Of Flight 93
- February 12, 2002: Buy Sept. 11 Bracelets
- December 6, 2001: Dispatcher Talks About Flight 93 Phone Call
- November 15, 2001: Flight 93 Hijacker's Voice Recordings Released
- October 11, 2001: Pilot Witnessed Flight 93's Final Moments
- September 12, 2001: Cities Knew Plane Was Coming, But Not Where
Copyright 2002 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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