As of March 2009, the Park Service has partially whitewashed its Flight 93 website, so that it no longer links to its earlier acknowledgement that the Circle of Embrace is still a broken circle. (In 2005, architect Paul Murdoch also described his original Crescent of Embrace design as a broken circle.)

The original Questions about the Design page is still available on the Park Service website, so the links I put up to it still work (http://www.nps.gov/flni/parkmgmt/designquestions.htm). The page is just no longer linked on the MANAGEMENT pop up menu (which no longer pops up).

In case the Park Service decides to go all the way and delete its Questions page entirely, here is a Google Cache of the page from March 17, 2009:

 

This is Google's cache of http://www.nps.gov/flni/parkmgmt/designquestions.htm. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on Mar 17, 2009 18:10:17 GMT. The current page could have changed in the meantime. Learn more

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Flight 93 National Memorial Visitors at the Temporary Memorial
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Flight 93 National Memorial
Questions about the Design
Questions and Answers about the Design, the Partners and the Future

Click here for briefings and reports about the design.

Click here for questions and answers with the architect of the Flight 93 memorial design.

Who are the partners for the Flight 93 National Memorial that were involved in the memorial design process?

Four organizations partnered to organize and implement the process for choosing a memorial design. 

·   The Families of Flight 93 is a nonprofit organization of family members of the passengers and crew who died on the flight. 

·   The Flight 93 Advisory Commission was created by Congress to prepare “a report containing recommendations for the planning, design, construction, and long-term management of a permanent memorial at the crash site.”

·   The Flight 93 Memorial Task Force serves as the Commission’s operational arm and includes Flight 93 family members, community members, first responders, educators, and other local, regional, and national stakeholders. 

·   The National Park Service is the federal agency charged with administering Flight 93 National Memorial.

 

How was the design selected for the Flight 93 National Memorial?

The design was selected through a deliberate, open, and transparent public process.

·   Over 1000 design entries were received from design professionals, amateurs, and ordinary people from 48 states and 27 countries. The designs were exhibited and available for public comment in Somerset, Pennsylvania and were posted on the flight93memorialproject.org website.

·   The juries were composed of some design professionals but mostly family members, first responders, and other people who were directly and personally affected by the loss of loved ones.

·   The selection process: 

1. The Stage I jury analyzed over 1,000 submissions and forwarded five finalist designs to the Stage II jury. 

2. The five finalist designs were again exhibited for public comment in Somerset, Pennsylvania, and were posted on the flight93memorialproject.org website.

3. The Stage II jury, which was composed of noted design professionals, Flight 93 family members, and community leaders, reviewed the public comments and evaluated the designs against the memorial’s mission statement.

o  The Stage II jury decided that they would select the winning design through a democratic process and took a vote. The design with the most votes would be selected as the winning design.

o  The jury voted and selected Mr. Murdoch’s design.

o  To reinforce their support of the design, the Stage II jury took a second, unanimous vote to support the design created by Mr. Murdoch.

 

What is the shape of the memorial?

The natural topography of the area is a bowl with higher elevations to the north and west so the landform provides the circle shape of the memorial; the memorial rests and follows the contours of the circle. 

 

Is this circle "broken" at all?

The "circle of embrace" points your attention down to the Sacred Ground, the crash site where the 40 heroes of Flight 93 gave their lives combating the terrorists. The trees surrounding this "circle of embrace" are missing in two places; first, where the flight path of the plane went overhead (which is the location of the planned memorial overlook and visitor center), and second, where the plane crashed at the Sacred Ground (depicted by a ceremonial gate and pathway into the Sacred Ground). In summary, the memorial is shaped in a circular fashion, and the circle is symbolically "broken" or missing trees in two places, depicting the flight path of the plane, and the crash site, in honor and remembrance of the heroes of Flight 93 who heroically fought the terrorists over the skies of Pennsylvania and gave their lives.

Where does the memorial focus attention?

Attention is focused on the Sacred Ground, the location of the crash site. The memorial has not yet been sited exactly on the landscape, pending further geotechnical, soil and other investigations. 

 

Is there Islamic religious symbolism incorporated into the design of the Flight 93 National Memorial?

No. This memorial solely honors the heroic actions of the 40 passengers and crew, who defeated the terrorists.

How do you know?

The intent of the architect was to honor the passengers and crew. When questions were raised about the design, they were taken very seriously. The National Park Service and the Flight 93 partner organizations investigated the issues and consulted with the Board of Directors of the Families of Flight 93, university and religious scholars, all of whom concluded that the memorial design does not imply or depict religious iconography. 

What do the Families of Flight 93 have to say about the design of the memorial?

They support it. In a November 9, 2007 letter to Congressman Tancredo they wrote, “The Families of Flight 93 overwhelmingly support the design and the design process, and reaffirmed that support by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors as recently as two months ago.”

What do the Families of Flight 93 have to say about the perceived Islamic symbolism in the memorial? 

The Families of Flight 93 sent this letter to Congressman Tom Tancredo on November 9, 2007 in response to his criticism of the design. Additionally, the President of the Families of Flight 93, representing the Board of Directors, made this statement on May 2, 2008 in full support of the memorial.

What are the next steps?

The partners and the National Park Service are committed to a national memorial that conveys the full honor due to the heroes of Flight 93. We continue to work together to build the memorial and commemorate those heroes who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Surfmen of the U.S. Life-Saving Service at the Assateague Beach Lifesaving Station. 4 kb  

Did You Know?
"You have to go out, but you don't have to come back." Such was the life of a surfman from fall to spring. The forgotten heroes of the U.S. Life-Saving Service rescued numerous shipwreck victims from Assateague's waters. The island was home to 4 Life-Saving Stations in the late 1800's-early 1900's.

Last Updated: November 04, 2008 at 09:26 EST

 

 

 

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