A groundbreaking ceremony is planned this week in Somerset County for a new memorial honoring those who fought and died in the Global War on Terror.

Organizer Randy Musser said the first phase of the memorial at Patriot Park, across Route 30 from the Flight 93 National Memorial, should be completed by this year’s 20th anniversary of the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in a nearby Stonycreek Township field. Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign is ongoing.

The Patriot Park Foundation raised about $35,000 in donations and in-kind contributions to get started with parking, access to the site and 7,036 flags to represent those who have died while fighting the war on terror, Musser said. More phases are planned as money is raised.

“It’s going to take a little time and it’s going to be a number of steps,” he said.

A private groundbreaking ceremony is planned Friday.

Organizers intend to honor the military men and women who continued the fight that started over the skies of Western Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, with the new memorial park.

Forty passengers and crew members aboard Flight 93 died a few miles away after fighting back against terrorists who hijacked the plane as part of a coordinated effort in which three other planes crashed into targets that day in New York City and Washington, D.C.

The group erected five flagpoles at the new memorial site in 2019 honoring each branch of the military. Musser acquired the property just west of the entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial on Route 30 about five years ago. He expects the memorial to cost several million dollars to complete.

Future phases include trees, an education center and a memorial plaza honoring those who fought in the Global War on Terror, which was launched in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Musser said he hopes to take into consideration the wishes of veterans and families of those who sacrificed their lives in the design of the memorial.

“It’s going to take efforts of a lot of people,” he said. “This is a long-term project.”

For details about how to donate, visit patriotparkmemorial.org/howtohelp.php.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)