Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department

On Monday Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spent about an hour visiting the Flight 93 Temporary Memorial and Crash Site. Secretary Rumsfeld and his staff were escorted across the site of the future permanent memorial by the National Park Service. The Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department provided Landing Zone coverage for the two helicopters which landed at approximately 10:40 a.m. One ambulance also was on standby from Station 902. Rumsfeld was not expected to make any statements at the Temporary Memorial, but did tell the press that he, "wanted to come here because it's an important site, and that "it's important for me to pay my respect to these heroes." Although unscheduled, the Secretary did make time to stop and meet both engine and ambulance crew members at the LZ prior to his departure for the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he later delivered a speech, which reflected on his visit to the Flight 93 Crash Site.

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