Visitor numbers continue to rise at Flight 93 memorial

摘要

The Flight 93 National Memorial is receiving renewed attention today because of the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, but the memorial itself is also becoming an increasingly popular tourist attraction. Some visits are high-profile, such as that of President Trump and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this morning to honor those who died in the rural Pennsylvania field. "The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up and stand tall and fight back," Trump said during the livestreamed event. Most visitors are lower-key, but they've come in steadily growing numbers. The memorial counted 411,226 visitors in 2019, up from 143,725 in 2007. A big bump-up began in 2015, when the visitor center opened. Bernhardt noted this week that one of the visitor center's display items is the service badge of the late Fish and Wildlife Service employee Richard Guadagno. A month after the crash, investigators found the badge intact and resting in a nearby tree.