On the morning of September 11, 2001, most Americans experienced the attacks through television screens. But here in south-central Pennsylvania, the tragedy felt closer to home.
While United Airlines Flight 93 ultimately crashed in Somerset County, just under three hours west of Lancaster County, the shockwaves of that moment rippled through communities across the region - including here in Lancaster County.
When news broke that a fourth plane was unaccounted for - after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - many Pennsylvanians were gripped by a new kind of fear.
Airspace was closing. Schools went into lockdown. Offices emptied. Church sanctuaries opened.
When Flight 93 went down in a quiet field near Shanksville at 10:03 a.m., the horror of the day became deeply personal for this part of the state.
What could have been another devastating strike - likely targeting the U.S. Capitol - ended in a rural Pennsylvania field because brave passengers fought back.
In that moment, the story of 9/11 became, in part, a Pennsylvania story.
Though the crash site was in Somerset County, emergency management systems across south-central Pennsylvania immediately went into high alert.
Local fire companies and EMS departments prepared for potential redeployment.
Hospitals reviewed surge protocols. Law enforcement agencies shifted into emergency posture.
But perhaps most notable was the response from Lancaster’s churches and community organizations.
Church doors opened for prayer.
Midweek services were organized within hours.
Pastors, priests, and ministry leaders fielded calls from anxious families and shaken congregants.
Blood drives were scheduled. Relief funds were discussed.
Intercessory prayer gatherings filled sanctuaries that evening.
For many, Lancaster became a place of refuge - spiritually and emotionally.
In rural Pennsylvania, volunteer fire companies form the backbone of emergency response.
On 9/11, that spirit of readiness was palpable.
Across Lancaster County’s boroughs and townships - from Ephrata to Elizabethtown, from Manheim to Strasburg - fire halls stayed staffed longer than usual.
Radios stayed on. Crews waited in case additional air traffic emergencies occurred.
No additional planes fell here that day.
But the readiness mattered.
It reflected something foundational about this county: when crisis strikes, people show up.
For residents of Lancaster, the proximity to Flight 93’s crash site left a lasting imprint.
Many here personally knew first responders who assisted in Somerset County.
Some traveled west in the days that followed to help in support roles.
Many firefighters and volunteers headed west to lend a hand.
In the weeks after the attacks, buses from churches and civic groups from Lancaster and other counties made quiet trips to Shanksville to pray, to serve, or simply to stand in solidarity.
Today, the Flight 93 National Memorial stands as a solemn tribute to the passengers and crew who lost their lives.
Each year, visitors from Lancaster County continue to make the drive - not as tourists, but as neighbors remembering neighbors.
Twenty five years later, Lancaster still remembers September 11 not only as a national tragedy, but as a day that brushed close to home.
Flags still fly at half-staff each anniversary.
Moments of silence are observed in schools and government buildings.
Churches hold remembrance services.
Fire companies polish their engines and honor the firefighters who ran toward danger in New York and beyond.
The story of 9/11 belongs to the whole nation.
But the story of Flight 93 - of courage in the skies over Pennsylvania - carries a particular resonance here.