Sep 12, 2002 By Josh Krysak 5 min read

SHANKSVILLE – Amid the sounds of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra and the voices of mourners piercing the gusty mountain air Wednesday morning, men, women and children huddled under blankets to keep warm and wiped tears from their eyes. State troopers, mounted on horseback, strolled the perimeter as bus after bus of well-wishers and friends arrived to pay their respects to the heroes and victims of Flight 93.

Some people brought flags or wore their pride with buttons or shirts, while others simply came for the chance that the service might provide some closure.

Many couldn’t explain it, but they thought they should be in attendance.

“I just wanted to see the families and I just wanted to be here,” said Pittsburgh resident Marilyn Keener.”I am truly grateful to these people. They’re our family now,” Petrus said. “It is because of them that I am able to stand here today.”

Rehobeth, Mass., resident Mable Ann DeAmaral, a Meyersdale native, said she traveled to show her support for the victims and to show the world that the nation stands in solidarity against terrorism and will not live in fear.

“We just wanted to show our respect and to honor those who gave their lives here at this spot,” she said. “I think it changed all our lives. …I’m honored and proud that I’m able to be here today.”

Uniontown sisters Patty and Bernie Coburn came to the memorial a month ago and were moved by the feelings that overwhelmed them. The sisters said they thought the makeshift tribute was special because it allowed people to express themselves.

They said they came back to show their support for the Flight 93 passengers but also to experience the overpowering sense of unity the site brings.

“When we topped the hill, it was the most awesome, solemn thing, and it became real to me what happened on that day. So we just wanted to come back and honor the people that gave their lives,” said Patty. “It is just our way of giving back something small, but at least being here is our way of saying thanks. …These heroes make you appreciate the country we live in.”

That appreciation was evident throughout the crowd, as flags flapped in the breeze and signs of support and encouragement were held high for family members of Flight 93 to see. Along the fence that separated the family members from the crowd, someone had stuck a red rose, a banner with pictures of the World Trade Center, a note of encouragement.

Along one side of the makeshift tent for the service, a group of flight attendants bunched in their navy uniforms, cheeks stained with tears but eyes filled with hope.

Sandy Dahl, whose husband, Jason, piloted Flight 93, spoke during the ceremony of the courage the passengers and crew showed that fateful day.

“Adversity does not build character. Adversity reveals character,” she said. “After Sept. 11, we know there is no shortage of angels.”

For some people, time and distance meant nothing Wednesday, as visitors journeyed from across the country to visit the remote Somerset County field.

Frank Matthews traveled from Austin, Texas, to attend the event, flying into Pittsburgh yesterday and returning home after the ceremony.

He came to pay his respects and give the families a message.

“It is the greatest heroic act in my lifetime. I just felt I had to come, to honor them,” he said.

Matthews said he thinks the nation will overcome the Sept. 11 attacks and that America can learn something from the Flight 93 passengers. Matthews hoisted a hand-written sign above his head that read, “The greatest heroes since the Alamo,” a message he thinks still isn’t enough to honor the heroes.

“The firefighters, they are heroes. The policemen, they are heroes,” Matthews said. “But these were ordinary citizens, and for them to give such a heroic act, could you imagine what this country would be like if they would have crashed this plane into the White House or the Capitol building, if they hadn’t stopped it? They gave us hope.”

That hope and the remembrance of the passengers’ selfless act is something that Matthews hoped family members and all in attendance would take away with them, and a message that was reiterated by Gov. Mark Schweiker.

“We remember heroes who unselfishly gave their lives so that others may live,” Schweiker said.

The Coburns said that message of hope and giving is what the memorial is all about.

“I just want to thank them for giving their lives for me to be able to live in freedom. What an awesome sacrifice,” said Bernie Coburn.

Patty Coburn said she drew inspiration from people like Cranbury, N.J., native Todd Beamer and the others killed aboard Flight 93.

“You have to go on. You can’t quit living. Just thinking about Todd Beamer and those people, if they did it, I can do it,” she said.Editor’s note: Herald-Standard Staff Writer Steve Ostrosky contributed to this story.