Editing Shanksville, Pennsylvania (section)

===September 11 attacks===
{{main|United Airlines Flight 93}}
[[Image:UAL Flight 93 ceremony.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] and first lady [[Laura Bush]] visit [[Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania|Stonycreek Township]] near Shanksville on the first anniversary of the [[September 11 attacks]].]]
On September 11, 2001, during the [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks on the United States]], Shanksville received worldwide attention after [[United Airlines Flight 93]] crashed into a field in [[Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania|Stonycreek Township]], {{convert|1.75|mi|km}} north of the town of Shanksville, killing all 40 [[civilian]]s and four al-Qaeda [[aircraft hijacking|hijackers]] on board. The hijackers had intended to fly the plane to [[Washington, D.C.]] and crash it into either the [[United States Capitol|Capitol]] or the [[White House]]. However, after learning from family members via airphone of the earlier attacks on the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] and [[The Pentagon]], the passengers on board revolted against the hijackers and fought for control of the plane, causing it to crash. It was the only one of the four aircraft hijacked that day that never reached its intended target.<ref>Alexander Riley, ''Angel patriots: The crash of United Flight 93 and the myth of America'' (NYU Press, 2015) pp 1–34.</ref>

There are two memorials to the event. The original, temporary [[Flight 93 National Memorial]] to the passengers and crew of Flight&nbsp;93 was located on a hill, about {{convert|500|yd|m}} from the crash site. On July 8, 2010, a new temporary entrance and memorial were opened at an area called "the Western Overlook". It is where the FBI set up their command center and where family members first saw the aftermath of the crash, bringing their own memorials, and where visitors can leave them today. The initial phase of permanent construction of the Flight&nbsp;93 National Memorial, including the visitors' center, was completed by the 10th anniversary in 2011. The memorial is built around the crash site, following the plane's flight path, and protecting the area of impact, known as the "Sacred Ground", which remains protected and accessible only to family members of the passengers and crew.

Shanksville's [[volunteer firefighters]] and emergency personnel from the nearby towns of Central City, [[Somerset, Pennsylvania|Somerset]], and others rushed to the crash scene to search for survivors. Members of the [[New York City Fire Department]] donated to the [[Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department]] a cross-shaped piece of steel salvaged from the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]. Mounted atop a [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]]-shaped base, it was installed outside the firehouse and dedicated on August 24, 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ganassi |first=Michelle |title=NY firefighter donating steel to Shanksville |url=http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/08/22/news/news/news808.txt |date= August 25, 2008 |work=Daily American |access-date=2008-08-22}} {{Dead link|date=April 2012|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gaskell |first=Stephanie |title=Pa. site of 9/11 crash gets WTC beam |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/08/24/2008-08-24_pa_site_of_911_crash_gets_wtc_beam.html |date= August 25, 2008 |work=New York Daily News |access-date=2008-08-25}}</ref>