Mother's 21-Year Tribute: Visiting Son's 9/11 Crash Site

Yachiyo Kuge will visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for the first time in three years to honor her son, Toshiya, who perished on September 11, 2001. Toshiya, a 20-year-old university student, was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 when it was hijacked by terrorists and crashed. His mother has visited the site annually since 2002, following his travel route and seeking to stay close to him.

Kuge's journey to the memorial site was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Now, citing her age and health, she feels this year's visit, occurring two decades after the tragedy, may be her last. During her first visit years ago, she created a Japanese flag from fabric and a coffee pot to place among the American flags at the crash site. Toshiya's passport case, which she had reinforced, is now displayed at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York.