The A&E original film “Flight 93” (2006), begins by showing pilots and flight attendants going through their normal, early morning preparations for flight. It shows travelers of all walks of life passing through airport security en route to the planes they would board for flight that day. There are smiles on some faces, scowls and consternation on others. And between the two pilots of flight 93 there is an obvious light-heartedness, all of which communicate that it’s just another day where average Americans step through the routines of life.

But it wasn’t an average day, as we all know, and the movie communicates this by interweaving clips of terrorists as they prepared to board flight 93, as well.

Emotions are stirred as the viewer watches names on plane tickets being checked at the gate. Interspersed with names like Tom Burnett and Todd Beamer are others like Ahmed Al Haznawi and Ziad Jarrah.

Right before flight 93 lifts off, viewers are informed that American Airlines flight 11 has been hijacked. Following takeoff, while flight 93 is still climbing, the viewer hears flight attendant Amy Sweeney (flight 11) on a cell phone describing where the terrorists aboard her plane had been sitting before they attacked. She talks hurriedly, and then is cut off by the impact of her airplane slamming into the World Trade Center.

News coverage of the second tower being hit is then worked into the film, and the tension is palpable.

The movie shows family members at home, who have been watching the news, wondering if their loved ones were on the planes that slammed into the World Trade Center.

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They Will Never Forget

Today, eight years ago, acts of unspeakable evil were committed on American soil. Al-Qaeda terrorists killed almost 3,000 people.

Whether the effort to preserve our liberties, secure our Constitution, and protect our people is called the “Global War on Terror” or “Overseas Contingency Operations,” the result of failure is the same: more terror and death.

Let us stop to reflect on what happened eight years ago and pray for the families of the dead, both civilian and uniformed, and the living serving on the front lines of freedom. As we do, let us also remember the nature of the attacks in far flung places like Mumbai, Islamabad, Jerusalem, Beirut, Baghdad, Kabul, and Sderot. (more…)

There is a field in southwestern Pennsylvania, near Shanksville, where forty individuals — 37 American citizens and three visiting citizens from other countries — gave their lives to protect our country on Sept. 11, 2001.  They were not members of the US Military.  They were not trained in combat techniques.  They were ordinary citizens who said goodbye to their families that morning knowing they would be back home in a matter of days or weeks, not having one single inkling that they would be called to an act of heroism that day.  They were the passengers and crew of United Flight 93.  The humble memorial that has sprung up in that field to honor them is indescribably heartfelt and immeasurably powerful.

The drive to the memorial has to be something that one chooses to make.  It is about 90 miles from Pittsburgh, a city that the crashing plane flew directly over that day.  It is not something that you just happen upon, driving down the interstate, on your way to somewhere else.  One must seek it out.  And over 150,000 people a year do so.  I went there today.  I am glad that I did. (more…)