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Why are there two bells at Shanksville?

Following the reading of the names, two bells were separately rung to honor the passengers and crewmembers onboard Flight 93 who, according to state Governor Tom Corbett, ?Came together in a single force against terrorism.?



At the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, the presence of two bells—specifically known as the Bells of Remembrance—is part of the ceremonial infrastructure used during the annual September 11 anniversary services. One bell is slightly smaller than the other. During the "Reading of the Names," each bell is struck individually for each of the 40 passengers and crew members who lost their lives on United Flight 93. This acoustic tribute is designed to provide a somber, resonant honor for each hero. It is important not to confuse these two ceremonial bells with the Tower of Voices, which is a separate 93-foot-tall monument at the entrance of the site. The Tower of Voices houses 40 unique wind chimes, each specifically tuned to a different tone to represent the distinct "voices" of the 40 individuals. Together, the bells and the chimes create a "living memorial in sound," reflecting the fact that many of the passengers' final acts were recorded through phone calls.

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The hijackers inside the cockpit are heard yelling No! over the sound of breaking glass. The final spoken words on the recorder were a calm voice in English instructing, Pull it up. The plane then crashed into an empty field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes' flying time from Washington, D.C.

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The plane crashed in an open field next to a wooded area in Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania at 10:03:11 am. The nearest town is Shanksville. Flight 93 struck the ground at a 40 degree angle almost upside down, hitting right wing and nose first, at a speed of between 563-580 miles per hour.

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In what likely was his dying act Flight 93 pilot and hero Jason Dahl managed to push a button which, unbeknownst to the hijackers, caused everything said in, and all sounds from near the cockpit to be broadcast. And of course, there were some 30 phone calls were placed from Flight 93 that day.

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According to the 9/11 Commission Report, the series of calls from the flight provided vital information both to the ground and to the passengers. Calls from on board the plane revealed that: the plane had been hijacked.

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The youngest flight passenger who died was Christine Hanson, a 2-year-old on her way to Disneyland on United Airlines Flight 175. The oldest was Robert Norton, 82, who was on American Airlines Flight 11. The 19 hijackers from the militant Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda also died.

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DENVER -- Sandy Dahl, wife of the pilot who captained United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed into a Pennsylvania field after being taken over by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001, has died at age 52. A fundraising group she founded to honor her husband's memory, the Captain Jason M.

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The oldest passenger on Flight 93, Hilda Marcin was traveling to spend the winter with her daughter in California. Marcin grew up in Irvington, New Jersey, married, and had two daughters.

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The impact killed hundreds, including everyone on the plane and many more inside the South Tower. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 people survived the crash, but were trapped by the catastrophic damage done to the skyscraper as well as the heat, fire, and smoke filling its upper levels.

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