On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, States Newsroom editor remembers the heroes of Flight 93

Twenty-five years after United Flight 93 crashed in a Somerset County field during the September 11 attacks, Pennsylvania Capital-Star editor Tim Lambert revisited the national memorial built on land his family once owned. All 40 passengers and crew died trying to retake the plane from hijackers before it could reach what is believed to have been its intended target, the U.S. Capitol.

Lambert, then a public radio reporter, learned the crash site was his family's property when his father recognized the location on television. He went on to report from the scene, assist first responders, and meet with victims' families, later describing the responsibility of being the only journalist with access to the site.

The Flight 93 National Memorial, run by the National Park Service, draws more than 400,000 visitors annually and holds roughly 9,300 cataloged objects, including 800 aircraft fragments. Curator Betsy Keene said the exhibits aim to help visitors understand the passengers and crew as individuals rather than symbols of a single day.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.