Circle of Liberty, or Crescent of Embrace? - The Flight 93 Memorial

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | 14-Sep-2005 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

The decision on what shape and form the memorial to Flight 93 will take is nearing finalization. If you remember, Flight 93 was the one airliner on 911 where the passengers had the time and the opportunity to fight back and end the plans of the murderous terrorists who had hijacked them. Who will ever forget the heroic words of Tod Beamer as he charged the terrorists with his fellow Americans? ""God help me. Jesus help me. Are you ready? Let's roll." " In making that charge and ending the terrorists murderous plans, they became heroes and delivered a victory to the American people in the midst of that day of attack and terror.

Amazingly, the design that is being finalized is called the "Crescent of Embrace", and includes a landscaping of the memorial that is a red crescent, which closely resembles the principle symbol of Islam and the symbol most meanigful to those murderous animals who the members of the Flight 93 passengers and crews defeated, at a cost of their own lives. Here's what that final design is depicted to look like:

Whether intentional or not, such a design in my opinion, and I believe to most Americans, is unacceptable. In no way should we memorilize the sacrifice and heroic actions of those brave Americans with anything that could remotely be construed to represent the symbol of the very enemies against whom they fought.

After considering it a few days, I have come up with a design of my own. I call it the "Circle of Liberty". Here it is:

The idea of this design is meant to be clearly all-American. There is a minature of the Statue of Liberty at the center, at the site of the crash. Surrounding that statue, are forty landscaped stars, each one with a central area containing a plaque memoralizing that specific passenger. Each star has a path that leads to the statuesignifying the individual path each trod to that fateful day and their sacrifice for liberty in the first resistance in the war that began that day.

This design also has a major entry from east or west, signifying the breadth of our nation and its coming together. In addition, all of the stars in the circle are tied together by a path leading in a circle between them all, signifying the unity and "closed circle" we as Americans must have in fighting and defeating this enemy...even as those passengers in crew were united in their sacrifice.

I believe that such a design is much more fitting and representative of our needs as a nation in this struggle and as we remember those who sacrificed all on 911, particularly the brave souls fighting their enemies on Flight 93. If I, as an admitted untalented and non-professional architect or landscape artist could come up with something such as this, surely the professionals tasked with presnting proposals to the US givernment could do the same.

If you are unhappy with the chosen design above, the "Crescent of Embrace", please contact the US Park Service at the Official Fight 93 Memorial Web Site and register your feelings.

Jeff Head
Author of the National Flight 93 Memorial Petition

[Jeff Head]

Now, I am no landscape artist or architect...but surely we can come up with...and expect...something for this memorial that is all-American in nature and truly represents the meaning of those barve soul's sacrifice.

[Jeff Head]

FYI...my thoughts.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I'll send my comments on - the crescent is a blasphemous insult - thanks for doing this.

[Mr. Jazzy]

I like the circle theme, but I think it would be better to have the memorial in the shape of a hand with all the fingers clenched into a fist,. except for the middle finger, which would be extended to the fullest. The memorial would then point DIRECTLY at Mecca.


Comments?

[Chani]

I like the way you think!

[Jeff Head]

I would not want any vulgar symbology...regardless of our anger...associated with such a memorial. Their actions already made that statement, when those every day, supposedly "soft" Americans made their choice and defeated a life time of indoctrination and hate that the terrorists represented.

Just my opinion...I certainly understand the anger and defiance.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Nice design. (Too bad it wasn't/won't be supported by the liberal artsy-faky groups.

Few questions:

40 Passengers. Crew included with that 40?

What about plaque/panel or engraved list of those who died in DC when the murderers dove their into the Pentagon?

[HighWheeler]

Jeff I don't know what the 39 florettes represent, maybe the reverse of the 93 in the flight number. How about using 40 florettes, one for each passenger?

[Mr. Jazzy]

Understandable.

[Jeff Head]

I believe the 40 includes the crew. Whatever the number of passengers and crew is, that is what the number of stars should be ...less the terrorists of course.

In the central area, where the statue is, a set of plaques would be located memorializing the entire 911 day in brief, including lists of DC and NYC deaths.

[Eastbound]

Excellent, Jeff. I like your design and your reasoning.

On another point, was your 'typo' on 'givernment' deliberate or accidental. LOL! Very appropriate. A new word for FR's lexicon.

[Jeff Head]

There are meant to be 40 stars...like I said, I am nor landscape artists. The design would call for 40, evenly spaced around an entire circle.

I'll fix the pic.

[steveegg]

You bet your ass that both the shape of and the orientation of the "Crescent of Embrace" was intentional. The alignment (which matches neither the flight path nor any cardinal direction) matches the required "prayer" angle to Mecca as exactly as the shape matches the Islamokazi crescent.

I MUCH prefer your design.

[HighWheeler]

How about a beverage cart smashing throught the cresent and breaking its back?

[Jeff Head]

Freudian typo...hehehe.

[ajolympian2004]

Before everyone has a panic attack over the memorial design you need to listen to this interview today by Dan Caplis and Craig Silverman of KHOW. They talked with the wife of the flight 93 pilot and she was also on the board of the design committee.

http://www.khow.com/mpdownload/9-14_sandydahl.wma
(Windows Media Player)

She says the memorial design should go on as planned. None of the families members of the folks who died in the crash object to design either.

[Jeff Head]

However that red crecent came about, IMHO, it is unacceptable and intolerable.

If I could come up with something like this...imagine what a true, all-American, professional could do? That's what I would like to see.

[Jeff Head]

They are entitled to their feelings...and I respect them greatly.

I also am entitled to mine, as is any other American. I feel that any remote resemblance to the symbols of Islam should be avoided like the plague. This is much more than a "remote" resemblance IMHO.

[Antonello]

Great design, Jeff. From the first moment I saw the 'Crescent of Embrace', and heard the asinine excuse that the topography called for that type of landscape, I wondered why they didn't just close the circle. You have shown that not only would that be possible, but would be true to the spirit of those the memorial is meant to honor.

The only thing I would consider is maybe an eagle and American flag for the central statue instead of a mini Lady Liberty. It would be more in keeping with an icon of the fallen heroes' fighting spirit. Besides, I don't envision this site to be a welcome mat, which is the essence of the Statue of Liberty.

Just my muddling 2 cents. And worth at least half that.

[sourcery]

The memorial to Flight 93 should be based on the above.