Secretary Norton Installs New Federal Advisory
Commission for Flight 93 National Memorial

Remarks Prepared for Delivery By The Honorable Gale Norton Secretary of the Interior
Flight 93 Memorial September 11, 2003

Shanksville, Pa.-- In a moving ceremony opposite the site where Flight 93 crashed during terrorists hijacking on Sept. 11, 2001, Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton administered the oath of office to 15 members of a new advisory commission. The Flight 93 National Memorial Federal Advisory Commission is responsible for making design recommendations for a permanent memorial to recognize and honor the inspiring courage and patriotism of the passengers and crew of Flight 93.

"As I look around this field, there is little that we can do or say or build that can be equal to the courage and sacrifice of the heroes who died on Flight 93, two years ago today," Norton said.
"Our hearts tell of a need to honor and memorialize their heroism and to distinguish and identify the importance of this site and what happened here for future generations."

The commission is authorized under Public Law 107-226, signed Sept. 24, 2002, establishing the Flight 93 National Memorial. The legislation directed that a 15-member Federal Advisory Commission be established with the membership consisting of the Director of the National Park Service and 14 nominations received from the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, approved by the Secretary of the Interior. The designee representing the National Park Service Director is Gerald Guadagno.

"The crash site of Flight 93 is a story of selfless courage and patriotism that inspires the true meaning of love of country and the freedom we enjoy," Norton said. "This very important commission will work to help us interpret the story of the heroic deeds of the passengers and crew members of this poignant and tragic event in our nation's history."
The advisory commission is responsible for developing and submitting a report to the Secretary and Congress containing recommendations for the planning, design, construction and
long-term management of a permanent memorial dedicated to the passengers and crew members who died onboard Flight 93, Sept. 11, 2001. The commission have until Sept. 2005 complete their recommendations to Congress. The commissioners installed today by Secretary Norton are:

Lawrence R. Catuzzi- Father of Flight 93 Passenger, Lauren Catuzzi-Grandcolas; Retired Investment Banker, Financial Security Assurance Corporation; Member, Board of Directors of the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority and Co-chairman of the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force; Houston, Texas

John T. Felt- Uncle of Flight 93 Passenger, Edward Felt; Retired Director of Planning for the Town of Cortlandt, N.Y.; formerly Chief Planner for the Department of Housing and Community Development, City of Baltimore, Md.; Member, American Institute of Certified Planners; Kinderhook, N.Y.
Dr. Brent Glass- Director; National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution; former Executive Director, Pa. Historical and Museum Commission; Washington, D.C.

Donna Glessner- Community Member; Flight 93 Ambassadors Coordinator; and Chair of the Temporary Memorial Management Committee, Flight 93 Memorial Task Force; Friedens, Pa.

Gerald Guadagno- Father of Flight 93 Passenger Richard Guadagno; Retired Personnel Director, Mercer County, N.J.; Veteran of World War II; Ewing, N.J.

Dr. Edward Linenthal- The Edward M. Penson Professor of Religion and American Culture and Chancellor's Public Scholar, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; and author of The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma City in American Memory; Oshkosh, Wis.

Kenneth Nacke- Brother of Flight 93 Passenger, Louis Joseph Nacke, II; Chair of the Family Memorial Committee, Flight 93 Memorial Task Force; Police Officer of the Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore, Md.

John J. Reynolds- Retired National Park Service Executive; currently Senior Fellow of The National Park Foundation; Member, Board of Directors, Student Conservation Association; and active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects; Castro Valley, Calif.

Gary A. Singel- Superintendent, Shanksville-Stonycreek School District; Chair of the Finance Committee, Flight 93 National Memorial; Shanksville, Pa.

Jerry L. Spangler- District Attorney of Somerset County, Pa.; Co-chair of the Memorial Ideas Planning Committee, Flight 93 Memorial Task Force; active in local historical societies; native of Stonycreek Township, Somerset County, Pa.; Somerset, Pa.

Daniel J. Sullivan- President and Chief Executive Officer, FedEx Ground; Moon Township, Pa.

Pamela A. Tokar-Ickes- Commissioner, The County of Somerset, Somerset County Board of Commissioners; Somerset, Pa.; Friedens, Pa.

Gregory A. Walker- Vice-Chairman, Stonycreek Township Supervisors; Secretary, Somerset County Municipal Co-op; and Member, Flight 93 Memorial Task Force; Friedens, Pa.

Michael Watson- Vice President, Director and Trustee of the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Director of the R. K. Mellon Family Foundation; Ligonier, Pa.

Calvin Edward Wilson- Family member of Flight 93 First Officer Leroy Homer; and Senior Engineer of Turner Construction Company, New York, N.Y.; Herndon,Va.