In everyone's life there are events that are etched in one's memory forever. Some of those events are memorable because of the joy and elation they bring, and others because of the tragedy, shock, and sense of loss evoked.
Each generation has moments that define them and they are a shared memory. When I talked to my Grandparents, they could easily recall where they were and what they felt when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, and the day World War II came to an end. My parents can easily recall where they were and what they felt when Kennedy was shot, and when man first stepped foot on the moon.
For me, I can recall sitting in my 5th grade classroom and watching Space Shuttle Columbia take flight. I can recall 5 years later, bagging groceries and having customers come in and me that the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in mid-flight, and all 7 souls on board were lost (Including NH Teacher Christa McAuliffe). However, the one memory that is the most vivid, and still to this day evokes a true emotional response, are the events of September 11th, 2001. It's hard to believe that this event was 23 years ago, yet I can recall it like it was yesterday. The events of this day evoked so many emotions. Disbelief, sorrow, and anger were chief among them.
This memorial was dedicated exactly 10 years after those tragic events, on September 11, 2011. The memorial was dedicated to Hudson Resident David Kovalcin and all those lost during that tragic day. David was one of the passengers lost on Flight 11 which struck the World Trade Center, Tower One (North Tower). When I first walked the memorial I was amazed at the level of detail and symbolism included in the design of the memorial. The path to the memorial, the markers along the path that chronicle the events of that day, the shape of the monument base, the use of grass from the field in Shanksville PA where United Airlines flight 93 crashed, and the use of steel from Tower One (North Tower), from the 23rd floor elevator shaft.
Simply put, I was moved, I hope you are too.
To log the cache you must post a photo in your log from one of the options below, and send me the answers to the questions below.
Photo Options (Choose 1 of the 3 options below):
- Take a photo of the memorial on the day of your visit
- Take a photo of you with the memorial in the background
- Take a photo of your favorite part of the memorial
Questions:
- What does the path to the memorial symbolize? (One of the markers contains the answer)
- What shape is the base of the memorial? (Walk the perimeter of the memorial to reveal the shape if the snow is deep and you cannot easily see the shape)
- What is on the back of the last marker before you reach the twin towers?
The difficulty and terrain rating is based on trying to find a few of the answers in the winter months. It will take a little effort to determine a couple of the answers when there is more than 2 feet of snow on the ground (Questions #2 in particular). When there is no snow, the difficulty and terrain ratings are 1/1.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.