As the nation prepares to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, former Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker and renowned child psychiatrist, Dr. Glenn Kashurba M.D., will be featured in: “25 Years Later: Remembering Shanksville and Flight 93,” a special public forum reflecting on the heroism of the Flight 93 passengers, the extraordinary response that followed and the enduring lessons of leadership, service and resilience born in rural western Pennsylvania.
The oral history account will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. EDT in the auditorium of Shanksville High School, 1325 Cornerstone Road, Shanksville. Taking place just hours before the region’s formal ceremonies commemorating the heroes of Flight 93, the forum will provide a rare opportunity to hear firsthand reflections from two individuals whose lives became deeply intertwined with one of the defining events in American history.
Schweiker served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor on Sept. 11, 2001, and became governor less than a month later, helping lead the Commonwealth through the aftermath of the attacks. Over the past quarter century, he has returned to the Flight 93 National Memorial on numerous occasions to honor the passengers and crew, recognize the courage and devotion of their families and reflect on the enduring legacy of Flight 93. Since 2018, he has served as the Executive in Residence for the homeland security program in the Department of Political Science at Rider University.
Kashurba, a psychiatrist and pediatric psychiatrist, volunteered with the American Red Cross to support the families of the Flight 93 heroes when they visited the crash site in the dark days immediately after 9/11. He later chronicled his experience and those of other responders in his acclaimed books, “Courage After the Crash” and “Quiet Courage.” Kashurba went on to a 25-year career in disaster medicine, responding to disasters across America.
Drawing on those firsthand experiences, Schweiker and Kashurba will provide an oral history account of the heroism of the United Flight 93 passengers and crew, the emergency response to the crash, the leadership decisions made during one of the darkest days in American history, the emotional toll on families and first responders, and the remarkable compassion demonstrated by the people of Somerset County in the days and weeks that followed.
Located just a few miles from the Flight 93 crash site, Shanksville High School was itself shaken by the impact of the crash on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Students, faculty and staff suddenly found themselves at the center of an unprecedented national tragedy as their quiet community became the focal point of one of the largest emergency response efforts in Pennsylvania history.
“Much has rightly been written about the courageous response at Ground Zero and the Pentagon,” Schweiker said. “But another extraordinary story unfolded in the hills of rural Pennsylvania. The people of Somerset County opened their homes, churches and hearts to grieving families, welcomed thousands of first responders and quietly demonstrated the strength of rural America. Their compassion, humility and resolve became a source of comfort during one of our nation’s darkest moments and showed that the strength of America has always been found in its people and communities.”
As the nation marks the 25th year of the Sept. 11 attacks, this oral history presentation will provide a timely opportunity to preserve and pass on lessons of courage, compassion and resilience that remain as relevant today as they were a quarter century ago.
