Presidents, first ladies, PA governors who visited Flight 93 memorial

A series of presidents, first ladies and Pennsylvania governors have visited the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 crash. The first official presidential visit came in 2002, when President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush toured the site a year after United Flight 93 crashed into a reclaimed coal strip mine in Somerset County, killing all 40 on board and several terrorists. Bush and Laura Bush’s 2002 stop included wreath-laying and speeches, according to the White House Historical Association. The national memorial was established in 2009, with Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell attending the groundbreaking. Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton spoke at the Sept. 11, 2011 dedication, followed by Obama’s 2011 wreath ceremony. More recently, President Joe Biden returned in 2024 with Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Trump also laid a wreath that day. The National Park Service says there’s no complete record of every dignitary’s visits over 25 years.