My visit to the United Flight 93 Memorial site in Shanksville, PA

I recently had the opportunity to visit the field where United Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001. To say it was moving would be an understatement. As you drive through a small rural town, with sunflowers lining the street just before you veer off to the crash site field, you realize this is something wholly different from what you've experienced before. It's not like a memorial you might visit in DC; this is where these people actually lost their lives. And it's different than visiting Ground Zero in New York. In New York, while still remembering, they are rebuilding and moving on, to prove that the terrorists did not accomplish their ultimate goal of breaking us. However, in Shanksville, PA, there isn't a sense of needing to rebuild and move on. It's not a bustling city reclaiming something it once lost. It's a field in the middle of small town America, off the beaten path, off of the terrorist's radar. It's quiet remembrance. It's a battle field of sorts, marking the site where many lost their lives to a war they didn't even know they were fighting.

There is a permanent memorial being built, the purpose of which is to allow people to reflect on the lives that were lost and the sacrifice they made. The first phase is complete and being dedicated and opened to the families of the victims on the 10th anniversary. The other two phases are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014. If you have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it. You'll leave with a deeper respect for those that gave their lives and a greater understanding of what was lost that day.