Replies

Heroes of Flight 93

September 11, 2001 Somerset County, about 80 miles SE of Pittsburgh

Group Responsible: The main suspect is Osama Bin Laden, the head of a network of terrorists.

Synopsis:

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial jet planes and attempted to fly them into several U.S. targets. The terrorists planned to fly this plane into a key U.S. target like the capitol building as part of their terrorist campaign that included the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. However, the terrorists got more than they bargained for on United Airlines Flight 93. Some of the passengers had heard of the events surrounding the other terrorists targets and took action. The terrorists discovered first hand the resolve of Americans under duress and in their final moments maybe glimpsed the will that has made America great. These heroes epitomized the sacrifice and courage this great nation was founded upon. Although, authorities are unclear of the exact sequence of events involving this flight, they are sure these Americans died protecting the lives of countless others.

America's Response:

The people of America have banded together like few other times in American history. People have responded with donations of blood, effort and money. The terrorists hoped to break the will of America but they have only inflamed the will of Americans to insure that freedom, liberty, and the American way of life continue.

The President of the United States has called for all civilized nations to band together and fight terrorism. The military of the United States has been mobilized for war. This operation has been code named Enduring Freedom. The government has declared Osama Bin Laden to be the main suspect and is currently seeking him in the country of Afganistan. Unfortunately, the Taliban, or ruling party of the country is not cooperating with the U.S. Government.

Weird "Wagons"

Oregon-bound airline, in 1849? Don't laugh--it almost happened. Rufus Porter, founder of Scientific American, planned to fly pioneers to Oregon on propeller-driven balloons powered by steam engines. He advertised the endeavor, and 200 brave souls signed up for the trip. But the "airline" never got off the ground.

Then there was the wind wagon, a cross between a sailboat and a wagon. Because it can be very windy in the West, it seemed like a good idea on paper. A prototype was built, and for a brief moment it barreled across the plains at the advertised 15 miles per hour. Then it went out of control and crashed. The inventor, "Wind-Wagon Thomas," kept trying for years, but never succeeded.

Others took a more low-tech approach, making the trip with only a simple wheelbarrow. It's hard to imagine pushing a fully loaded wheelbarrow for 2,000 miles, but several dozen people tried. For a time, they could outpace everything on the Trail, but human endurance has its limits. It is uncertain whether any of them made it all the way.

Mormon handcarts were somewhat more sophisticated. Like wheelbarrows, they were human-powered, but handcarts were pulled, not pushed. Thousands of handcarts made it to Salt Lake City, Utah, but there is no record of anyone taking a handcart further west.

The Heroes of Flight 93

Attack of America Memorial

PetitionOnline still down ...

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial jet planes and attempted to fly them into several U.S. targets. The terrorists planned to fly this plane into a key U.S. target like the capitol building as part of their terrorist campaign that included the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. However, the terrorists got more than they bargained for on United Airlines Flight 93. Some of the passengers had heard of the events surrounding the other terrorists targets and took action. The terrorists discovered first hand the resolve of Americans under duress and in their final moments maybe glimpsed the will that has made America great. These heroes epitomized the sacrifice and courage this great nation was founded upon. Although, authorities are unclear of the exact sequence of events involving this flight, they are sure these Americans died protecting the lives of countless others.

FGS