WASHINGTON ?EUR??,,????'??? The National Park Service (NPS) Special Assistant P. Daniel Smith recently testified on behalf of the agency and the Interior Department in support of H.R. 3917, a bill commemorating the passengers and crew of Flight 93, who courageously gave their lives to thwart a planned attack on the nation?EUR??,,????'???s capital on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to establishing a national memorial at the crash site in Shanksville, Penn., HR. 3917 would create a Flight 93 Advisory Commission, coordinated and facilitated by the Secretary of the Interior, to provide technical and financial assistance to the Flight 93 Task Force, and to administer a Flight 93 memorial as a unit of the National Park System. The Flight 93 Task Force is a grassroots organization formed by people concerned about the future of the crash site, including grieving families of the passengers and crew, the people of the region who are the current stewards of the site and a broad spectrum of citizens across the United States. ?EUR??,,????'??Establishing a permanent memorial would serve as a meaningful way to honor those who sacrificed their lives on Sept. 11 and would provide an appropriately respectful setting for family members and other visitors,?EUR??,,????'?? said Smith. ?EUR??,,????'??As we testified earlier this year on another memorial bill, in the case of enormous national tragedies, we have found that commemoration seems most appropriate at the site of the tragedy itself. The Oklahoma City National Memorial would not have nearly the power it has if it had been constructed anywhere else but at the site of the Murrah Building.?EUR??,,????'?? Numerous NPS professional staff have visited the Flight 93 site over the past ten months to understand this special place and its changes over time. These employees have met with local people including landowners, the local historical society, volunteers, the Mayor of Shanksville, county commissioners, rescue workers, and others, to provide advice, technical assistance and on-site security in the preservation and curation of artifacts left by visitors at the site. NPS employees have facilitated a series of public meetings regarding the future of the site. People directly involved with the creation of the Oklahoma City National Memorial have also provided assistance to the local people and officials. ?EUR??,,????'??The National Park Service has been privileged to help and listen to family members, the community of Shanksville and so many Americans as they reach toward the right way to commemorate this critical moment in American history,?EUR??,,????'?? said Northeast Regional Director Marie Rust.