SHANKSVILLE -- Mark Bingham was one of 40 people who died protecting the nation on Sept. 11, 2001.On that date, four commercial airliners were hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists and used to strike targets on the ground. Two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and thousands of those working in the buildings. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, did not reach its projected target in Washington, D.C. Experts believe it was headed toward either the Capitol Building or the White House.Instead it crashed in a field near Shanksville around 10:03 a.m. as the brave, unarmed souls aboard fought back against their hijackers.Bingham, 31, of California, was the last person to get on that Boeing 757 flight originally scheduled that morning from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, Calif.He, along with the other 32 passengers and seven staff members of Flight 93, will be forever immortalized at a permanent memorial in Shanksville near the crash sight in Stonycreek Township.Bingham's father Gerald Bingham, of Tennessee, was at the temporary memorial -- the Western Overlook -- last week as the 10th anniversary of the crash approaches."I've watched it grow now and I've been able to see things happen," Bingham said.

"That's a great feeling. Everybody's contributed and it's just amazing what happened when 40 families got together. This is what we have to honor our heroes."Bingham said his son was on that flight for business. The father talked about what he saw at the site about a decade ago."I looked down and they were still going through the wreckage out there," he said. "Still with shovels going through the whole area seeing if they could find anybody. That was the day before they had the ceremony out here with the Highway Patrol, the CIA, the FBI were all out here. I was lucky to be able to come up."The Western Overlook is where families first came to the crash site to leave tributes to their lost loved ones. Across from the overlook is a building used by the FBI at the time of the incident as a headquarters for its investigation.The building currently houses canvases from the National Parks Service filled with information about the Sept. 11 attacks, the development of the memorial, and photos of the Flight 93 crew and passengers. A portion of the walls is dedicated to cards featuring the thoughts and prayers of many individuals wishing to pay tribute to those of Flight 93.On one of those canvases is a quote from Los Angeles fire. Capt. Stephen Ruda. He called the area, "A common field one day, a field of honor forever."Final touches are being made to the phase 1 development of the permanent Flight 93 National Memorial, which will be dedicated on Saturday and commemorated on Sunday."There'll be a lot of people, and for a good reason," Bingham said. "For the heroes that died that day."Admission is free. Saturday's dedication program at the Memorial Plaza begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday's program begins at 9:30 a.m.Visitors may not go beyond the fenced boundary and are prohibited from all construction zones. Parking is limited and security will be heightened. Only temporary restrooms are provided.A Memorial Grove also is planted within the memorial as a living tribute to the passengers and crew. Each grove will contain 40 trees, such as Sugar Maple, White Oak, and Elm, for a total of 1,600 trees radiating toward the center of the Field of Honor.Flight 93 National Memorial has collected oral histories from more than 650 people with direct connection to Flight 93, and more than 130,000 people visit the memorial annually.The temporary memorial, which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., will close for the last time on Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. in preparation for the weekend's events.New Jersey native JoAnn Dolci was with her 5-year-old daughter Kaylee Horner last Thursday as they visited the site for the first time.Dolci also spoke with Bingham, and said her friend from kindergarten was at a family home nearby in Shanksville when their house shook as Flight 93 came by."I said, (tilde)Oh my God that's right near where my friends live,'" Dolci said to Bingham. "(I was) just crying for days watching it, and I watch anything now about it and I still cry. I personally didn't lose any loved ones, but it affects us all. You knew from that day forward that our country would never be the same again."Dolci said she will not be able to attend the upcoming ceremonies, but she has visited the memorials at the other crash sites.Ida Donahoe and Kathy Ausherman, both of Frederick, Md., placed flowers at the Western Overlook Thursday morning."We just wanted to come before (the ceremony)," Ausherman said. "We'll be back. It's a shame something like this had to happen. It just breaks your heart.""I said, (tilde)Today's the day (to visit the memorial),'" Donahoe said. "Just glad to do it."The site will remain open during construction, but visitor patterns and hours of operation will change.The final resting place of the passengers and crew is the heart of the memorial and will remain untouched.The next phase of construction includes large memorial walls that will frame the sky where Flight 93 once flew. The height of the walls will approximate the altitude of the plane, 40-50 feet, as it passed overhead.The final phase of construction includes a 93-foot Tower of Voices. It will serve as a landmark from the highway, marking the gateway to the Memorial Park. The tower is planned to house 40 wind chimes that will serve as an enduring echo of the voices of the passengers and crew.Those wishing to support the memorial can find more information at www.honorflight93.org