A mourner at the Flight 93 National Memorial (Getty)

The Flight 93 National Memorial will be dedicated this weekend. On Saturday, the Memorial Plaza and Field of Honor will be the first features to be completed and will be permanently open to the public. 

All of the 40 passengers and crew members who lost their lives on Sept. 11 will be known forever as heroes. They had the realization that their flight was being overtaken by hijackers who wanted to cause harm and destruction to the nation’s capital. With quick thinking and brave actions, the group launched a counter-attack against the hijackers. To this day, those passengers and crew members are credited with making sure that plane didn’t come close to a major landmark that would have caused even greater death and damage.

According to USA Today, more than 7,000 people are expected to attend the site this weekend- 800 of those will be family members from as far away as Japan. It is the only 9/11 crash site to be open to the public during the anniversary weekend. Tributes and memorials at the Pentagon and Ground Zero are for invitation only. 

The next phase of the memorial will include a visitor center and Tower of Voices, described as a 93-foot chamber containing 40 wind chimes, each representing a life lost to the plane crash. 

Former President George W Bush and his wife Laura will attend the Saturday ceremony with current Vice President Joe Biden. President Barack Obama is expected to make an appearance Sunday. 

Learn more about the Flight 93 National Memorial including how to make a donation at their website here.

Reach writer Mike Vulpo here