About "Thunder on the Mountain"
There were some who came those days so soon after September eleventh, trampling over these hills, as if unknowing where they were. This placid, tranquil place of solitude was sanctified now by the visitation of Heroes from the sky. For us who saw our land transformed, we saw ourselves transformed as well. For those whose lives were touched and forever changed by so great a loss, many reached out, not with answers, but with grasps of friendship and consolation.
There were some who came among us, who did not know what this place was or what it had become. They could not know who we are and what we had become. In those days so soon thereafter, thoughts and feelings found form in the words of an essay of exhortation, declaration, appeal, prayer and welcome. The essay, Thunder on the Mountain was written in response and in tribute to those events at Shanksville, and was printed and distributed as a greeting for those who came into the region looking for the place where Flight 93 came to earth and as a suggestion that perhaps more, much more than what they came to seek could be found here.
The impact of Flight 93 is an experience to be treasured, preserved, shared and proclaimed. In a single instant of time, at 10:06AM on September eleventh at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, time stood still. The thunder of that impact will never be silent, will never stop reverberating on our hills and on our mountains and on our hearts. Everyone who comes to see what really happened in Shanksville cannot be indifferent. They must know that Heroes came among us and changed the destiny of the world. From this quiet place, they will bring the message into their lives and hearts and homes, and the impact of that single moment in time will be an eternal message never to be forgotten, always and forever remembered: a message of bravery, sacrifice, hope, and glory of the forty brave Heroes of Flight 93 who left for us an example and a message that can never be silenced, Thunder on the Mountain.
Thunder on the Mountain
Tread gently on our hills, be aware of where you are. You are welcome here among us. We were quiet once, secluded and alone. These mountains and our checkered fields are not much changed. Their appearance endures in much the same way as it has been for a very long time. Something is different now. It cannot be explained or defined. Our world is shattered and we have been touched even as the entire world has been shaken. From the terrible events of that September morning have emerged Giants who are specially honored here. Strangers to us all, they have become the Heroes of our towns, our people, of our nation and the world. In the final moments of their lives, they demonstrated courage, strength, purpose and commitment. Their message is clear: to be free, completely free, let no one, let no thing take control. We are Captains of our Destiny, Masters of our soul. We can make a difference in our own lives, we can make a difference in the destiny of the world.
These Heroes of Flight 93 have hallowed our land. We honor them and hold in our hearts a special gratitude for what they have done for us all. Their relatives and friends have walked among us, and for awhile we shared their grief. Our lingering grief is the sadness of the Nation and it will make us stronger and more determined to adhere to the principles that have made our Nation great. These are the very principles guiding the Heroic Passengers of Flight 93. Theirs is the Spirit of America, the spirit of human nature to be free.
There is a sanctity here. Be aware of the silence in your heart. Remember what they have done. Treasure the gift they have given, together with so many others who have demonstrated bravery, so many of whom will never be known to us. Honor the sacrifice they have made, and take from here the memories of your life. Honor this land and this place. It is sacred to us now. We see our sky in a different way, we travel our countryside in awe. There are tears in our hearts. We will remember the Thunder that has shaken our mountains. They traveled our sky for a moment, they have touched our land forever.
Tread gently on our hills, Welcome Visitor, tread gently. You are on hallowed ground.
(c) 2001 A. T. Mascherino
THUNDER FLAG - SHANKSVILLE FLAG
Four elements comprising all of creation form the basis of the flag. American soil gives rise to the exalted qualities of humanity, Heroes in spirit capable of evoking the highest esteem and honor from their countrymen and shine as stars forever.
©2001 A. T. Mascherino
Stars: (Fire) - Four Planes of 9/11
Blue: (Air) - Heavens of Glory
White: (Water) - purity, truth, justice, valor, courage: attributes of Heroes
Red: (Earth) - American soil, native land, God shed His grace on thee.
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