Description

This 2014 Fallen Heroes of PA Bronze Medal is a bronze duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal honoring the men and women who perished in rural Pennsylvania as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Following the ceremony on September 10, 2014, the gold medal was given to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania for permanent display.

The obverse of the medal features the hemlock groves behind the memorial boulder at the Flight 93 Memorial, a simple reminder of loss and healing. Inscriptions are “A COMMON FIELD ONE DAY, A FIELD OF HONOR FOREVER” and “ ACT OF CONGRESS 2011.”

The reverse features 40 stars on a raised border around the edge of the design, one star for each victim. The inscription reads:

“WE HONOR THE PASSENGERS AND CREW OF FLIGHT 93 WHO PERISHED ON A PENNSYLVANIA FIELD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. THEIR COURAGEOUS ACTION WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER”

The design also features a bald eagle standing sentinel and clasping branches of laurel, signifying an eternal honoring of those who perished in the tragedies.

The tragic deaths at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and in rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, forever changed our nation. Civilians, officers, emergency workers and members of the military, as well as federal, state and local government employees took heroic and noble action on that day.

In recognition of the support of the country for those who lost their lives to terrorism, Public Law 112-76 authorizes the production of three Congressional Gold Medals – one for each of the three sites – and corresponding bronze medals. The three medals bear unique designs emblematic of each site.