In Remembrance of 9/11 and United Flight 93
Memorial Wall
Pennsylvania’s quaint, historic county of Somerset is known to many for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. More recently, however, it gained global recognition for the tragic, terrorist-led crash of United Flight 93, on September 11, 2001, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
As with the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, the field that received that ill-fated flight on 9/11 soon swarmed with first responders…and last responders. One of those who arrived at the height of the chaos and crisis was our very own Sean Douglass.
Sean is a long-time member, treasurer, and past president of the Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association. He is also immediate past president of the California Funeral Directors Association. Sean and his father, the late Sam Douglass, Jr., created and managed Douglass Airline Funeral Coordinators - a third-party company that provides mortuary coordination services to airlines, and the insurance companies that insure them. His mother and father founded this service out of necessity, and Mrs. Douglass’ association with Pan Am airlines in the 1950s. Douglass Airline Funeral Coordinators became an independent predecessor of DMORT and continue to be called upon in the event of air disasters. Sean, together with his father, have been responsible for reconciling 45 airplane crashes, and Sean still oversees the company today.
Assisting in the recovery, preparation, and transportation of airline disaster victims takes multiple teams of professionals, from multiple sectors. As an airline funeral coordinator, for the recovery of Flight 93, Sean worked alongside airline personnel, the National Transportation and Safety Board, the FBI, State police, Coroner’s officials, insurance adjusters, press, the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, politicians, local and State funeral directors, and others – all in a frenzy, doing their best to get their particular job done.
For all to work together takes coordination, communication, and great patience under an unforgiving timeframe. From identifying remains, to transporting decedents by coach, to placing each decedent in identical 18-gauge caskets, to cataloging each piece of personal effects – every step must be taken meticulously, professionally, compassionately, and quickly. Many of the agencies involved need updates and answers. They place pressure on the recovery personnel for that information. But most importantly, the urgency is for the families of the victims who are desperately awaiting news of their loved one. Did they make their flight? Were they on that plane? Have they been found? How will they get home?
Sean spent nearly 2 months working as part of the team dedicated to United Flight 93 and its victims. He admits that by the end of this rewarding yet stressful endeavor, he was ready to come home. Earlier this year, a representative of the United States Parks Service contacted Sean for an interview to document his experience and involvement in the recovery of those who died aboard that plane. He was hesitant. The memories of his time there still bring emotion, and the prospect of returning 23 years later was not without a bit of apprehension. He was also concerned he wouldn’t have much to add. The Parks Service had already interviewed more than 800 family members, first responders, witnesses, and many others who had assisted in the aftermath of the crash. But with his background in airline disaster recoveries, as well as his career as a funeral director, Sean’s perspective would be unique and valuable.
He agreed to the interview but asked if it could be conducted in Somerset, as he had not seen the finished monument. While he participated in the planning and coordination of the 10 year anniversary ceremony, the memorial itself had not yet been completed. The National Park Service agreed. Sean looked forward to seeing the monument, paying his respects, and reconnecting with some of those he worked so intensely close with back in 2001.
In the early days of June this year, Sean returned to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This visit brought a sense of calm he wasn’t expecting. Along with continued accolades and thanks for his work and guidance in 2001, Sean was presented with memorabilia from the now completed monument. There was a gathering over lunch, and a tour of the crash site, the memorial, and storage vaults housing artifacts from the disaster, plus a 2 hour interview by Betsy Keens, of the National Park Service. Sean and Betsy were joined by Wally Miller, with whom he had worked very closely following 9/11. Wally is a local funeral director and was the coroner at the time of the crash. Dean Deaner, another local funeral director and deputy coroner, and the current coroner for the county were also on hand.
Sean was received with great warmth and hospitality, including the owner of a diner frequented by those working the crash back in 2001. Despite the time that had passed, as Sean approached the diner, the gentleman welcomed him by name. These kind and dedicated people helped ease any anxiety about his decision to return to the tragic site. He was reminded of all the truly good, necessary, and hard work that he, and the entire team he worked with, accomplished in the weeks immediately following 9/11. The work continued months later when they were asked to oversee the gathering, cleaning, cataloging, and returning of approximately 2500 pieces of personal effects that had been recovered from the crash site. No detail tossed aside. From each person who perished, right down to their personal belongings – all efforts were made to care for everyone with equal dignity, respect, and reverence.
Sean describes his recent visit with those same tones of reverence. He was moved by the memorial, and how the design and surrounding elements represent different facets of the disaster: A long walkway positioned in the path the plane followed when it crashed; the memorial wall with the names of those who were onboard United Flight 93; the large boulder placed at the site of the plane’s impact; and the Tower of Voices sculpture. Embracing it all – a forest of trees, framing the scene of a violent act with the tranquility and peace of nature. As Sean left the disaster site, filled with all the memories and feelings this trip had brought back to his mind and heart, he placed a wreath at the memorial boulder in remembrance of the innocent people who died that day.
The LACFDA would like to take this opportunity to thank Sean Douglass for his work, efforts, and dedication to caring for those lost in the crash of United Flight 93. On this anniversary of 9/11, we honor those who perished. As funeral professionals who serve those left behind, we also think of the people whose lives were forever changed by the loss of a loved one, and those left with the trauma of having lived through this horrendous ordeal. The events of September 11, 2001 will stand out in our history as the vicious attack that it was. But the people who died in those attacks will live on in the hearts of those who knew them - immortalized by monuments and memorials like the one that serenely extends through a field of trees near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
