gack benz terrorists who were planning to slam their plane into a washington d.c. landmark, probably the u.s. capitol or the white house. >> let's go live to laura ingle at the ceremony which will be starting at any moment now, laura. >> good afternoon, patti ann, we have had a beautiful day as it turns out. didn't start out this way and we have some rain and awful lot of mud for folks trying to get to the ceremony, long lines of cars trying to get here, as you can see behind me, we've got some of the family members and the special invited guests being seated right now as we wait for the dignataries to arrive, and secret service is all over the place, and of course, we have a long list of very special guests coming here today. vice-president joe biden, former president, bill clinton and george w. bush and also we've learned speaker of the house, john boehner will be here this afternoon. today's events will include remarks from the former president which will be followed up by the unveiling of the wall of names. that is a long awaited moment, for the family members here, there, we can show you, the nice wall covered up with tarps and those are 40 eight-foot slabs of white marble engraved with the passengers and crews, remember, some fought back as we know heroically from the the hijackers, to keep it from hitting the intended target in washington d.c. once that moment happens it will be a sigh of relief for family members and loved ones and waiting to see the wall unveiled. tomorrow we will have the annual memorial service on sight and start at 9:40 a.m. and president barack obama will be here and the start time chosen to commemorate the moment, i can see the white cowboy hat behind me, secretary of the interior ken salazar is here and the money is about to begin any moment to you. >> kelly: not to interrupt you quickly, but we can see now that president bush has been following president clinton coming to the mode yum and the dignataries are arriving and of course, we saw some video of them. >> and there's vice-president biden and looks like it's going to be starting momentarily. once the money begins, we are going to take it uninterrupted, but laura-- stop now and listen. >> good morning you may be seated. i'm john jarvis, to dedicate this memorial to your loved ones. today he we recognize those who make the memorial to those of the crew and flight 93 a reality. people from this community, from this state and from across the nation who share an unwavering commitment to make this field in shanksville, pennsylvania an eternal tribute to those whose unselfish actions spared lives of so many. thousands of people have made the journey to be here in this solemn place and millions more are watching or listening to this ceremony. and please welcome you all. let me also welcome several of our distinguished guests, speaker of the house. john boehner. [applause]. members of the congressional delegation are here with us as well. [applaus [applause]. there are many states elected officials as well representing the state of pennsylvania. [applause]. and there are many local officials who have been so instrumental in protecting this site over the years. [applause]. ten years ago flight 93 took off from newark, new jersey, bound for san francisco, terrorists hijacked that plane and three others that terrible day as part of an organized attack on this country. now, hijackers turned the plane toward washington d.c. aimed we believe at the united states capitol where both the house and senate were in session. they never made it. because of the determination and valor of the passengers and crew of flight 93, that plane crashed in this field, less than 20 minutes by air from its presumed target. in the days that followed, as the courageous story of what happened aboard flight 93 emerged, the flag had been at half staff above the u.s. capitol, was brought here by senators arlen specter and rick santorum, to fly as a solemn tribute above the recovery personnel and investigators as they sorted through the wreckage. in just a moment follow presentations of the honor guard, i ask at that your turn your attention to the flagpole behind you as two fbi agents who were here during that investigation will once again raise that flag, the flag that flew over the u.s. capitol on september 11th, as the first flag to fly over the memorial. as we dedicate this memorial and commemorate the inspiring story it tells, those who lost their lives are never far from our thoughts or from the thoughts of those who were spared by their actions. and among us today are people who were in the capitol or at the white house on september 11th. i would ask them to please stand. stand. [applause]. now, i would invite everyone to stand at the invocation by father kaufman the house of representatives chaplain 2001 and remain standing for the singing of the national anthem and the presentation of the colors, father kaufman? >> let us pray, god bless america, here we stand united in memory and dedication. here a prayer rises from hallowed ground, made sacred by a great heroic self-sacrifice so others might live. here is found the beginning of a new national pledge of allegiance inspired by those who would grasp the few moments given them to take matters into their own hands and truly make a difference. resolve never to be victims of circumstance, here true americans witness to a living truth beyond themselves, their hope, to free others, who with them will change the world. desire is to end terrorism and violence, they became willing seeds planted for freedom's harvest. only unbelievers, lord god, continue to seek a sign of your love and forgiveness, for we know you have heard the prayers murmured here over a decade. has this anguish been detected too long? have we not witnessed enough? ordinary people on their way to work or family reunion, offer on the altar of this plane all they had, all they loved, then threatened, they refused to be paralyzed, finding within themselves an art beyond politics. they break the silence and decidedly act together, they do only what is possible in an impossible situation. because they are your children, he they find within themselves true freedom. from them, lord, teach us how to release ourselves from the seat belt of economics and draw us together to rush forward to the future, unafraid, because you, again, give us a sense of direction. lord, by this dedication, lift us from sin and death to renewed faith and prayer, bring us and all our sisters and brothers to a new life for we place all our trust in you, both now and forever. amen. ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ through the perilous fight ♪ for the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rocket's red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in air ♪ gave proof through the night that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ o say does that star spangled b bann banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ (applause) (applause) >> you may be seated. this memorial is to 40 remarkable people. in less than 30 minutes, they understood their situation, voted on what to do and acted. each of them is an american hero. poet robert pinski will now share with us a reading and then call the names of the passengers and crew. as each name is red, representatives of the first responders will toll the bells of remembrance. gordon phelps, president of the family of flight 93 a steadfast supporter of the memorial and brother of flight 93 passenger phelps, will honor this memorial. robert? robert? >> any people a people. is what it remembers. for us the american people flight 93 because we remember it has become a significant part of who we are and what we are as a people. however, let's confess of a communal memory. whenever we speak about memory we also think about forgoting and we can't know what our great-grandchildren will remember, but we know they will remember this. there's always the fear of the waters of the river of forgotfulness. in a beautiful two line poem from the 19th century, it's mentioned and here is the two line poem. on love, on grief, on every human thing, time sprinkled, water with its wings. and it's true that on love and on grief. forgetfulness is sometimes sprinkled two very short poems i'm going to read for you. nobody wanted to remember this event. we want to have the murder, as well as the honor of this memory. the first poem is about that helplessness that we remember, whether we want to or not. and the second people involves the reseeming decency. reasonableness and in the case of these 40 people, indeed heroism. the first poem about needing to remember, even if you don't want to about many things, this poem was written before september 11th, by a great poet, called "souvenir of the ancient world." . clara stood in the garden with the children, the sky was green over the grass. the water was golden under the bridges. other elements were blue and rose and orange. but policemen smiled. bicycles passed and a girl stepped onto the lawn to catch a bird. the whole world germany, china, all was quiet around clara. the children looked at the sky. mouths, nose, eyes were open, there was no danger, what clara feared were the food, the heat the insects. clara feared missing the eleven o'clock trolley, waiting for letters slow to arrive not always being able to wear a new dress. but she strolled in the garden in the morning, they had gardens. they had mornings in those days. >> that's a home about a cataclysmic event happening and it seems there will be no more gardens. the second poem i'll read to you before reading the 40 names is also not written in english by a great poet and i'll read it in my translation called incantation and for me evoked the fact that these people when they got on the airplane had no idea of being heroes, they wanted to go somewhere on ordinary, reasonable human business and then their imaginations challenged by disaster. incantation human reason is beautiful and no bars, no barbed wire, no books, no sentence of banishment can prevail against it. it establishes universal ideas in language and guides our hand and so we write truth and justice with capital letters. lie and oppression was small. it puts what should be above things as they are, as an enemy of despair and a friend of hope. it does not know jew from greek or slaves from master, giving us the estate of the world to manage. it saves transparent phrases from the discord of tortured words and it says that everything is new under the sun. opens the fists of the past. beautiful and very young are sophia and poetry, her ally in the service of the good, as late as yesterday nature celebrated their birth, the news was brought to the mountains by a unicorn and an echo, their friendship will be glorious, their time has no limit. their enemies have delivered themselves to destruction. i'll now say the 40 names. christian adams. [bell ringing] >> lorraine g bay [bell ringin ringing]. >> todd m. beamer. [bell ringin [bell ringing]. >> alan anthony beaven. [bell ringing]. >> mark bingham. [bell ringing]. >> deora frances bodley. [bell ringing] >> sarah bradshaw. [bell ringing] >> marion r britton. [bell ringing]. >> thomas e burnett, jr. [bell ringing]. >> william joseph cashman. [bell ringing]. >> goregine rose corgan. [bell ringing]. >> patricia cushing. [bell ringing]. >> jason mdahl. [bell ringing]. >> joseph deluca. [bell ringing]. >> patrick joseph driscoll. [bell ringing]. >> edward porter felt. >> [bell ringing]. >> jane c folger. >> [bell ringing] >> colleen l fraser. [bell ringing] >> andrew sonny garcia. [bell ringing] >> jeremy logan glick. [bell ringing] >> kristin white gould. [bell ringing] >> lauren grandcolas. [bell ringing] >> and unborn child. wanda anita green. [bell ringing] >> donald freeman greene. [bell ringing] >> linda gronlund. [bell ringing] >> richard j guabagno. [bell ringing] >> leroy homer. [bell ringing] >> toshiya kuge. [bell ringing] >> ceecee ross lyles. [bell ringing] >> hilda marcin. [bell ringing] >> waleska martinez. [bell ringing] > >> nicole carol miller. [bell ringing] >> louis jnacke, ii. [bell ringing] >> donned arthur peterson. [bell ringing] >> jean hoadley peterson. [bell ringing] >> mark david rothenberg. [bell ringing] >> christine ann snyder. [bell ringing] >> john talignani. [bell ringing] >> honor elizabeth wainio. [bell ringing] >> debra jacobs welsh. [bell ringing] >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ of ♪ >> vice-president biden, president bush, president clinton, secretary salazar, speaker boehner, friends, families, and all those that chose to take time today to share in the bittersweet celebration of this memorial dedication, thank you for honoring the memory of the passengers and crew of united flight 93 with your presence. ten years ago, we first came to this hallowed ground. we were devastated. nearly broken. our lives had changed in an instant and in a time when we least expected the potential for such evil in the world. today, with the dedication of the flight 93 national memorial, we are assured that the enduring legacy of our loved ones and their collective actions on september 11th, 2001, will be preserved, providing comfort, inspiration, and education for future generations. it has been a long road to this very day. it seems to have passed in an instant. so many hurdles, so many steps to take, procedures to follow. the only a project as worthy as this could sustain a level of dedication on the part of so many that would see us through to this dedication on this 10th anniversary. on this occasion, it is proper and fitting to acknowledge those first responders joining us today, that were called to action within minutes of the crash of flight 93. as the course of our lives was so violently altered that day, they heard the call to duty and in their own way were the first to honor our heroes through their actions. this level of action, dedication, and compassion within the summerset county community and the areas on the morning of september 11th, 2001 and during the period of recovery and investigation was not unique, but rather, the norm. whether it is the ambassador standing vigil here at the memorial, volunteers working with the national park service to preserve artifacts and oral histories or community members opening their homes and hearts to family in our time of grief. this community has embraced this memorial project with all of the dignity, grace, and honor. i've come to realize is pervasive here in southwestern pennsylvania and across the commonwealth to harrisburg. senator casey, senator toomey, representative schuster, representative kris, the entire pennsylvania delegation, as well as long time champions of the flight 93 national memorial, former governor rendell, former governor ridge, senator specter and the late congressman murtha, you have honored our government's commitment to be an active partner in the development of this project. with such upheaval in our world today you've continued to fight the good fight in order to ensure this project has stayed on schedule and has continued to be appropriately funded. to the families, this sacred ground holds a deep and special significance. this is the final resting place of the crew and passengers of flight 93. and we have worked hard to ensure that it is treated with the proper care and respect. we are grateful to secretary salazar and the national park service for their leadership in this memorial project, as well as for their current and future stewardship of this land. superintendent newling, project manager ryanbold, handily, and the entire team of ambassadors, volunteers, we trust you'll continue to be the fierce advocates for our loved ones moving forward you have demonstrated to be thus far, while we are demonstrating a memorial on this day, our job is not done. we look forward to a timely completion of this memorial project so that as future generations come to somerset county speaking answers, they will have the ability to experience the complete vision of the memorial design. the story of flight 93 is one that resonates with all that would hold near to their hearts the rule of law, the love of family, and the desire to control the destiny, the destiny of one's life. over 70,000 people from across the globe have demonstrated their support for the flight 93 national memorial through financial support and nearly 1.5 million individuals have already come to this sacred ground in order to pay their respects to our 40 heroes. they have come asking questions, seeking perspective, as well as to tell their own stories and experiences of september 11th, 2001. all that have made the pilgrimage to this site. all that have worked tirelessly to create this memorial, and all of those that refuse to forget the individuals and their collective actions honor the 40 crew and passengers of united flight 93. we must choose to be inspired by the story of flight 93 and seize the opportunity to hold fast to the hard fought lessons learned on this sacred ground just ten short years ago. as long as we continue to remember the actions of our loved ones, they remain alive in our hearts and in the hearts of our nation. thank you. [applause] ♪ ♪ i will remember you, will you remember me ♪ ♪ don't let your life pass you by ♪ no ♪ the memories ♪ ♪ standing on the edge of something much too deep ♪ ♪ funny how it feels so much, so we screaming inside oh, carry on ♪ ♪ and i will remember you ♪ will you remember me ♪ don't let your life pass you by ♪ ♪ the memories ♪ ♪ i am he' he so afraid to love you, so afraid ♪ ♪ ♪ i will remember you ♪ will you remember me ♪ don't let your life pass you by ♪ ♪... the memories ♪ i will remember you ♪ will you remember me ♪ don't life pass you by ♪ the memories (applause) >> thank you, thank you, sarah mcglachlan for joining us with that piece. this memorial would not be the without the support of individuals, governments, groups and foundations from across the country that have made personal and financial commitments to see it through. we welcome representatives of several of those groups, the first is chris sullivan, chairman of the flight 93 capital campaign and vice-chairman of the national park foundation. chris? >> (applause) thank you, john and thank you for all that you've done for flight 93 national memorial. your leadership is remarkable. thank you very much, john. as a fund raising partner of the national park service, the national parks foundation is privileged to work with the dedicated group of partners. the corporations, businesses, foundations, and other organizatio organizations, the law firm of porter wright who did pro bono work on the land, are committed to protecting this hallowed ground, yet, none of this-- nobody has given more than the relatives and family members of the 40 men and women flight 93. they feel the weight of the loss and we admire you for your courage, your determination, your commitment and your persistence in seeing this national memorial becomes a reality. and we're very excited that today, the first step of that is being completed. this is an important endeavor to create a permanent place of recognition of the heroes, your loved ones, so that each generation knows of the incredible heroism, sacrifice and horror that took place here ten years ago. i would like to especially thank our honorary co-chairman, general tommy franks and governor tom ridge for first asking me to participate, but more for your numerous trips and meetings with donors, and your ongoing and positive enthusiasm and inspiration to he see this effort through. i want you two to stand up, so everybody can say thank you. [applaus [applause] >> as gordy mentioned from 75,000 individuals and organizations have made commitments to this national memorial. these donations both large and small inspire us to continue to move forward in order to fill the promise we made ten years ago to remember these brave souls on board flight 93. your names will forever be recognized in our honor role as well as in our hearts for your extraordinary generosity. thanks for your part in making and dedicating this national memorial today. so, over 1.5 million visitors from around the world have visited the memorial. today marks the first time that we walk across the plaza and stand before this wall, and come face with the quiet meadow surrounded by thousands of others who share the memories of 9/11. visiting here stirs the memories in and emotions that are still raw. we reflect, and we do, reflect incredible courage and conviction of the heroes of flight 93, as well as the heart break and the sorrow of their loved ones. we're thankful that these ordinary citizens stood up and stopped another deadly attack on our nation. we like to thank five organizations for underwriting today's events. alcoa foundation, bank of america, erie insurance, highmark and verizon, thank you. [applaus [applause] >> today's dedication marks a progress in the flight 93 national memorial, but not the final step in the the journey and healing and remembrance. what we see is only a part of the memorial. behind us will be a resource center filled with programs, and 40 memorial groves encircling the vast field of honor and tones will echo across this land. america has a long tradition of honoring its heroes in national parks from the calm waters of pearl harbor to the majestic mountains of mt. rushmore to the enduring legacy of martin luther king, jr., we're pleased these 40 men and women, the heroes of flight 93 will be so honored. we're confident we can realize the full vision of the national memorial. we ask for your continued support and ask you to encourage others to learn more about our efforts and go to honor flight 93.org if you can get them to participate. and this has been a remarkable journey, and again, we have still work to do, but thank you, families, your inspiration to all of us, we're going to get this done. with that i'd like to present secretary of the interior ken salazar who has just been absolutely fantastic during these efforts. mr. secretary? (applaus (applause) >> thank you very much and good afternoon to all of you and to vice-president biden, to dr. biden, to president clinton, to president bush, to mrs. bush, to speaker boehner and senators casey and toomey and all the members of the congressional delegations, elected officials, but especially to the families today of flight 93 who have worked so hard to make this day possible. we join together as friends and as families, as citizens support from our memories and enduring monument to love, courage and sacrifice. in one morning, a turn of history and a rush of heroes forever changed this land and this nation, and this world. the battle that began six miles overhead ended with a roar of engines in this area behind us in the stony creek river. since that day, millions of americans have come to honor their heroes of flight 93. they have brought to this hallowed ground their pictures, their letters, and their prayers. and the people of this land themselves survivors and witnesses and first responders welcomed those who came. they helped us mourn. they helped us reflect, and they helped us build a memorial for all of america and all the world for all time to see right in this place. to the citizens of somerset county and to those who led that effort, including governor ridge and governor rendell and general frank and so many others, we thank you for making this day possible. to the land owners of this place in somerset county who gave of their property to this nation so that we might honor those who gave their lives here, we thank you. and to the architect, paul murdoch, who kept true to the landscape, and to this event, your design, has moved us, our hearts from the beginning. to the families of flight 93, whom i have come to know well over the years, and to the flight 93 advisory commission, the flight 93 memorial task force, the national park foundation and the relentless and undying efforts of neil mulholland, and elected officials, new for your leadership and for your vision. to the tens of thousands of citizens who have donated to this cause, more than 75,000 so far, you honor us all. and to the families themselves who have suffered the unspeakable tragedy, but who rededicated themselves so deeply to protecting this final resting place, their partnership in this process, in this place, will ensure that the legacy of your loved ones is never forgotten. i am honored and i am humbled to work with all of you to make this day happen. so we will never forget those heroes who gave their lives on this hallowed ground. today, this special place, these 2200 acres here, enter the the care and trust of the department of interior, and the national parks service, as the 389th unit of the national parks system. it joins the hallowed grounds of gettysburg and yorktown, thelma and pearl harbor as a place where patriots gave their lives for this nation. here, like so many lands and sights we protect, we are reminded of that which binds us as one people. we are reminded that we all share in our nation's triumphs as well as its trials. we share dreams of peace and prosperity and we are reminded that we stand up for one another, fight for each other, and defend the rights and dignity endowed to all human kind. the heroism of the passengers and crew of flight 93 will endure forever. and it will live in the hearts of visitors, moved by the sights and sounds of this place. the field of honor, the groves of trees, the wind chimes that will one day be heard throughout this landscape. on behalf of the men and women of the national park service and the department of interior, we pledge on behalf of president obama, on behalf of this nation's citizens, we pledge to guard this hallowed ground so that all who visit may learn what happened here. we will tell the story of flight 93 and its heroic 40 passengers. we will ensure that the 40 patriots who gave their lives are never forgotten. and we will see to it that the american values, so evident that day, determination, resilience and service continued to inspire us, guide us, and give us hope for our future. now, it is my honor to read a letter from president carter, who was not able to come, but asked that i read this letter to all of you who are assembled here. he says, i join with all of you in the dedication of the flight 93 memorial. the desire to honor and remember the men and women who died here ten years ago tomorrow. at a time of great sadness we nevertheless were inspired by the courage and sacrifice, manifested by the passengers and crew of united flight 93. our nation was stricken by an unprecedented attack that brought death and injury to thousands of people, and suffering to millions, in the united states and around the world. i recognize the personal losses of the families and friends of those who perrished in new york and washington as well as pennsylvania. they receive my deepest condolences. all of us americans suffered and found it difficult to understand such evil acts. the proper response includes an enhanced defense against terrorism and a renewed dedication to the values that make the united states a great nation. a commitment to truth, justice, peace, freedom, humility, human rights and generosity. the creation of this national memorial park will help us remember, but we have lost and what we must do. i inspect it to be an inspiration and a comfort to all of us. rosalyn and i send our congratulations to those responsible for this memorial and our prayers for consolation and hope. sincerely, jimmy carter. [applaus [applause] >> it is my honor to present to all of you here in somerset county in pennsylvania the 43rd president of the united states, george w. bush. [applaus [applause] >> thank you very much. mr. secretary, thank you very much. mr. vice-president, dr. biden, president clinton, mr. speaker, members of congress, my friends tommy franks and tom ridge, thank you for helping raise the money for this memorial. the national park service and the national park foundation, all of those who supported this memorial, but most importantly, the families of flight 93. laura and i are honored to join you in dedicating this memorial to the heroes of flight 93. when the sun rose in the pennsylvania sky ten years ago tomorrow, it was a peaceful september morning. by the time it set nearly 3000 people were gone. the most lives lost on american soil in a single day since the battle of entitam. the distance of a decade. 9/11 can feel like a part of a different era, but for the families of the men and women stolen, some of whom join us today, that day will never feel like history. the memory of that morning is fresh and so is the pain. america shares your grief. we pray for your comfort and we honor your loved ones. september 11th, 2001, innocent men and women went to work at the world trade center, who reported for duty at the pentagon, they boarded american flights 11 and 77, united flights 93 and 175. they did nothing to provoke or deserve the deliberate act of murder that al-qaeda carried out. one of the lessons of 9/11 is that evil is real and so is courage. when the plane struck the world trade center, firefighters and police officers charged up the stairs into the flames. as the towers neared collapse, they continued the rescue efforts. ultimately, more than 400 police officers and firefighters gave their lives. among them was the chief of the new york city fire department, peter ganassi, a colleague put it, he would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn't do himself. the pentagon service members who civilians pulled friends and strangers from burning rubble. one special forces recalls, reaching through a cloud of smoke in search of the wounded. as he entered one room he prayed to find someone alive. he he discovered a severely burned woman, he carried her to safety. they later met in the hospital, where she explained that she'd been praying for rescue. and she called him her guardian angel. and then there's the extraordinary story we commemorate here, aboard united airlines flight 93 were college students from california, iron worker from new jersey, veterans of the korean war and world war ii, citizens of germany and japan, pilot who had rearranged his schedule so that he could take his wife on a vacation to celebrate their anniversary. when the passengers and crew realized the plane had been hijacked, they reported the news calmly. when they learned that the terrorists had crashed other planes into targets on the ground, they a