Collected Dirt
Photo credit: Jin S. Lee
Accession Number: C.2012.97.1
Dimensions: 2.312 in X 1.062 in
Dimensions (Metric): 5.87248 cm X 2.69748 cm
Dimensions (Metric): 5.87248 cm X 2.69748 cm
Credit Line: Gift of the American Red Cross, Keystone Chapter
Keywords
Family Members
Memorialization
Shanksville (Somerset County, Pennsylvania)
United Airlines Flight 93
Victims
Family Members
Memorialization
Shanksville (Somerset County, Pennsylvania)
United Airlines Flight 93
Victims
Description
Small glass vial filled with earth. A label on the outside of the vial includes printed text: "September 11, 2001 | Somerset, Pa."
Small glass vial filled with earth. A label on the outside of the vial includes printed text: "September 11, 2001 | Somerset, Pa."
Historical Notes
The scale and nature of destruction made it difficult and, in the case of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, impossible to recover and identify all who were killed there. Some families acknowledged their losses with memorial services, even when they had received no remains. Over time, as fragmented remains were found and identified at Ground Zero, some victims’ families faced the need for multiple funerals. Memorial services and funerals continued for years.
Small vials like this one were filled with earth from the vicinity of the Flight 93 crash site and given to family members of the Flight 93 victims.
The scale and nature of destruction made it difficult and, in the case of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, impossible to recover and identify all who were killed there. Some families acknowledged their losses with memorial services, even when they had received no remains. Over time, as fragmented remains were found and identified at Ground Zero, some victims’ families faced the need for multiple funerals. Memorial services and funerals continued for years.
Small vials like this one were filled with earth from the vicinity of the Flight 93 crash site and given to family members of the Flight 93 victims.
