Yesterday, reader Thomas Holsinger pointed me to a Wall St. Journal article that gives us all an update on the story. It's about the continuing stewardship and care of the Shanksville crash site by area residents, as a steady stream of visitors continue to pay their respects:
"...one Sunday in January 2002, Donna Glessner stood up in church and announced that she was going to start a group to care for the memorial and its visitors. Seventeen people came forward, becoming the first Goodwill Ambassadors. Today there are 40, and they watch over the memorial during daylight hours, seven days a week. They range in age from 20 to 79. Many are husband-and-wife teams working their shifts in pairs.Winds of Change has covered Flight 93 and its memorial several times over the last year:They answer questions about the memorial, about Flight 93, about where to get a meal and how to find the highway again. They also act as groundskeepers: "We try to be good caretakers, to never let a flag touch the ground," says Mary Alice Mankamyer. "You always keep a shovel and salt in your trunk; in the summer we bring water for the visitors."
It's good to see that others have this covered, too. Ms. Glessner, we salute you and all of your Goodwill Ambassadors today. Like the Flight 93 passengers themselves, your example shows us the best in the American spirit.
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