Penn State Master Gardeners honor Flight 93 heroes through day of service

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Sept. 11, 2001, Linda Keller was living with her husband at a B-1 bomber base in South Dakota, where he was serving in the Air Force.

She watched on television, stunned, as planes struck the World Trade Center towers. Moments later, her husband’s phone rang. He was ordered to report to the command center immediately. School was canceled. The base went into lockdown.

“When we heard about Flight 93 going down in western Pennsylvania — which is home for me and my husband — chills and panic went through me,” Keller said. “The phone system was overwhelmed, and I couldn’t get through to check on my family in western Pennsylvania. I just wanted to talk to my parents.”

More than two decades later, Keller, now a Penn State Extension Master Gardener in Fayette County, found herself back in that story in a different way. She joined fellow volunteers for a cleanup effort at Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, where the plane crashed after the passengers and crew tried to gain control from the hijackers.

“Being at the Flight 93 memorial brought back emotions and memories,” she said. “I was reminded of the selfless act of those passengers and crew that gave their lives to protect our nation and the lives of others,” Keller said.

On Aug. 28, around 120 Master Gardener volunteers, Penn State Extension educators, staff from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and 13 National Park Service staff members spent the day tending garden beds at Memorial Plaza. They weeded, pruned and prepared the grounds to welcome families and visitors ahead of the 24th annual remembrance on Sept. 11.

Area Master Gardener Coordinator Valerie Sesler, whose region includes Somerset County, helped organize the event.

“This day of service is deeply meaningful to me because Flight 93 crashed so close to home,” she said. “Being at the site allows me to honor the memory of those lost and to feel connected to their families. I know many Master Gardeners share this sense of connection, and together our work becomes a small but heartfelt tribute.”

The 1,500-acre memorial features a plaza, the Tower of Voices — a 93-foot-tall musical instrument holding 40 wind chimes representing the 40 passengers and crew members — the Wall of Names, and a private area for the families. Volunteers play an instrumental role in maintaining the landscape.

“I love being a part of the Flight 93 day of service,” said Kevin Whitfield, a Master Gardener from Allegheny County. “The memorial is a beautiful and humbling site, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help keep it looking its best, to be inviting and a site Pennsylvanians can be proud to host.”

Stephen Clark, superintendent of the National Parks of Western Pennsylvania, and Deputy Superintendent Kristina Melgar spoke to the group, sharing the history of Flight 93.

This event marked the fifth annual cleanup, and Sesler noted that each year brings unexpected moments that move her. This year, a Master Gardener in Somerset County, Annie Daniels, shared that she had been a first responder on 9/11 while eight months pregnant. She has always felt a bond with a Flight 93 passenger who also was expecting a child.

“Nearly every year, a story like this emerges that touches my heart and stirs deep emotions for me,” Sesler said.

For Keller, who was volunteering at the memorial for the first time, the day carried that same emotional weight.

“It’s not only an honor as a Penn State Master Gardener to be part of the Flight 93 Memorial,” Keller said, “but a privilege to help care for and preserve this hallowed ground.”