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Flight 93 National Memorial visitors reflect on events of fateful day 25 years after 9/11

Sept. 11, 2001 is a day that many Americans will never forget. Thoughts of where people were, what they saw and how they felt that day remain in their minds 25 years later. At the Flight 93 National Memorial Park, visitors carry those memories with them as they honor the 40 passengers and crew members who lost their lives.

Each year, as the anniversary date approaches, Hal Hinton, seasonal park ranger, said the number of visitors increases as people come to learn about the memorial site and pay their respects.

This is Hinton's first year as a park ranger at the memorial site and he said the job is important to him because he wants to make sure the stories about that day are factually reported and that the courage of those on board are never forgotten.

"I wouldn't want to work anywhere else," Hinton said. "I have parks much closer to where I live, but this is where I chose to work because it's what I feel is important."

On the day of 9/11, Hinton remembers exactly where he was.

A pilot for American Airlines, Hinton was on a layover in Honolulu while his wife, a flight attendant for United Airlines, was working on a flight out of Chicago. After hearing the news, Hinton was trying to figure out if his wife was safe, but wasn't able to get in contact with her for several hours.

When news emerged about The World Trade Center towers getting struck, Hinton said all flights were shut down and everyone was forced to land immediately at the first available airport. Everyone was grounded for three days and Hinton left Honolulu on Sept. 14.

As a park ranger at the memorial site, Hinton said it's "incredibly important" to remember and understand what happened that day not only on the 25th anniversary, but every single day. He said the passengers and crew members actions prevented the airplane from causing more devastation as their suspected intended target was the U.S. Capital or White House.

"It was hard to fathom how many people were killed that day," Hinton said.

The Flight 93 National Memorial is 2,200 acres and is full of artifacts and tribute stations that are dedicated to all 40 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93. Throughout the park are several memorial locations including The Memorial Plaza & Wall of Names, The 9/11 National Memorial Trail, The Visitor Center Complex and The Tower of Voices.

On Tuesday, Ashley Davis brought her 6-year-old daughter, Haven Davis, to the memorial site to teach her about that day and learn about the sacrifice that average people made to save others.

Davis said she was 16 years old and a sophomore in high school when the tragedies took place. She remembers watching the live news coverage on TV in school and was shocked, unable to take her eyes off the TV.

Bringing her daughter to the Flight 93 Memorial site, Davis said it's important for her to understand the significance of this event for the country. She wants people to never forget those who lost their lives, no matter how much time passes.

Walking the 9/11 National Memorial Trail with her two daughters, Ilene Grimaldi from Minnesota was out of town on 9/11, but has a memory from the days following that really sticks with her.

Grimaldi and her husband were camping in Bar Harbor, Maine, and were going to cross the border into Canada, but the borders were closed and they had to wait for them to reopen. Going back and forth on whether they should go back home or wait for the border to open, Grimaldi said they ultimately decided that they weren't going to let the terrorists stop them, so they went to Canada.

"It was like a neighbor helping a neighbor," Grimaldi said. While in Canada, Grimaldi said people kept saying "I'm so sorry" and had an American and Canadian flag flying at half staff. She said it was very heartwarming.

Today, the Flight 93 National Memorial site will hold a morning observance and afternoon ceremony. Over the weekend, other events will be held at the memorial site including a chalk portrait display, luminaria ceremony, Called to Action: The Flight 93 Story and more.

To learn more about the Flight 93 Memorial and this weekend's events, visit the website https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

Mirror Staff Writer Jayla Nartatez is at 914-946-7535.