In the attacks of September 11, 2001, terrorists targeted prominent symbols of the United States to create fear and a feeling of vulnerability in the American people. News of the attacks was met with disbelief, sorrow, and anger, followed quickly by a renewed sense of unity and patriotism that swept across the country. American servicemen and women deployed to Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East and, along with U.S. intelligence personnel, hunted the terrorists of al-Qaeda. Though Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, was killed in 2011, the fight against the terrorists continued. Daily routines returned in towns throughout the country, but indelible memories of that day and those lost remained. Memorials were constructed at the site of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and in cities and small towns across the nation. In Shanksville, people from across the United States joined together to create a national memorial, a permanent tribute to the extraordinary courage of 40 ordinary people. The serene fields, wooded groves, and rolling hills that bore witness to such violence became a lasting testament to the courage of the passengers and crew of Flight 93.
