Flight 93 victims remembered after bin Laden's death confirmed

This story has been updated to correct an earlier version that incorrectly listed Ethel Rainey's last name as Riley.

Ethel Rainey of Ohio was in the area for her sister's 80th birthday and said they had to come to the site after they heard Osama bin Laden was dead.

"There's no way we would have missed this, so it was the first thing on our mind, we just came right on out here and drove out," Rainey said. "To me, this is where the real heroes are. These are the people who saved so many people. They're close to our hearts and God bless all of them."

The attacks on September 11, 2001, are not as clear to some younger visitors. College students from nearby Frostburg University were in fourth grade when Flight 93 went down.

"My name is Destiny Mason and I'm from Chesapeake Beach Maryland. I never knew this actually happened," she said. "I didn't know we were this close. I'm trying to fight back the tears, but I'm glad to be here."

Soon this site will be a place where people can learn about Flight 93. The old metal scrap yard and reclaimed coal strip mine is now part of the National Park Service, and the new memorial will be dedicated this September 10, 2011. Keith Newlin is the park's superintendent.

"We have the area where the plane went into the ground, the impact site and that's where the flag is out and that's been left untouched by our developer and around that is about 65 acres of debris field and still the remains of the passenger and crew," said Newlin. 

Newlin says this memorial is a cemetery. It will feature a long black and white marble wall with the names of the victims etched in the stone. For now a gravel lot and chain link fence above the field serve as a memorial decorated with flowers, signs and small U.S. flags.