CAMBRIDGE, Ohio (AVC News) — Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a day that remains one of the darkest in American history.
On that morning, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, while a third struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, not including the 19 hijackers, and thousands more were injured. Many survivors continue to experience lasting physical and emotional effects.
A fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, never reached its intended target.
Flight 93 was hijacked shortly after departing Newark, New Jersey. Investigators believe the plane was headed toward a target in Washington, D.C., although the specific target remains uncertain.
As Flight 93 turned back toward Washington, a group of passengers and crew members attempted to retake control of the aircraft. The plane ultimately crashed into an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, about 78 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. All 40 passengers and crew members aboard were killed.
That turn brought Flight 93 over eastern Ohio, including the Cambridge and Guernsey County area, creating a local connection to the events of Sept. 11.
Cambridge resident Dave McKim said he was among those who witnessed the aircraft as it passed over the area that morning.
McKim has since visited the Flight 93 crash site, which is now home to the Flight 93 National Memorial. He said he has spoken with families of passengers and crew members and reviewed airline documents and maps that he believes show the aircraft’s turn over the Cambridge area.
McKim also obtained a memorial flag bearing the names of those who died aboard Flight 93.
Following conversations with the Guernsey County commissioners, McKim loaned the flag to the county so it could be displayed in front of the Guernsey County Courthouse in honor of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
The flag is scheduled to be flown at the courthouse throughout Friday in remembrance of the victims and the passengers and crew members of Flight 93 who fought back against the hijackers.
Last Updated on September 11, 2026 by AVC News
