WINGS OF COURAGE
The Memorial experience is given by the act of walking to the "Sacred Ground" among translucent concrete “wings”. The visitor will perceive them from far away all grouped together, but as he approaches, he slowly becames able to read the engraved names of those who lost their lives on 9/11. Behind the wing lies a bench in the ground that invites him to sit and have a more profound experience of reflection. While he sits protected by the translucent concrete wing, the only other things that exist in this open Pennsylvania field are the sky, the grass, and the wind. The wings, standing strong in a “sea” of grass, symbolize the courage of the passengers of Flight 93. From each translucent concrete wing visitors have a view of the Sacred Ground, where the ground still bears the remains of the passengers. This serves as a reminder that this is the final resting place of 40 men and women who decided to make a difference against an act of terrorism. At night the translucent wings will glow as a standing memory of their sacrifice. Facilities, archives, the museum, and parking will be located underground in a zone called “the ridge”, which takes advantage of a view of the memorial through glass walls.