Stan and Emily Jerich can't quickly recall many names of those who lost loved ones on United Airlines Flight 93 when it crashed near Shanksville on Sept. 11, but they remember their stories.
Sitting in their Leechburg insurance office decorated with crash site photographs, Emily shared the story of one man who lost his wife in the tragedy -- a story she knows through volunteering as a security officer during the days immediately following the event.
The man sat on the balcony of a hotel room at Seven Springs Mountain Resort where victims' family members were housed. He held an infant while fighting the urge to sleep. His wife, a stewardess, died on the flight, which terrorists hijacked with plans to crash it into the Capitol.
Emily offered to hold the baby so the man could rest. He declined, saying he was keeping an ear on his two other young children in the room and that was keeping him awake.
Without arguing, Emily walked away, only to slip behind the balcony curtain without the man knowing so she could watch to make sure he didn't nod off with the child in his arms.
In recounting the story, Emily struggled to remember the man's name. She shot a look at her husband, who shook his head to indicate he couldn't recall it.
"What we did was listen," said Stan, who along with his wife now serves as a Flight 93 Ambassador -- a volunteer who answers questions from visitors at the Flight 93 memorial. "We became good listeners."
While the man's name wasn't fresh in her mind, Emily recalled him saying his wife planned to leave her job to focus on raising their children. She had submitted her resignation with plans to make the flight her last as a stewardess. She died instead.
Stan and Emily volunteered as security personnel at the resort through their involvement with the Seven Springs fire department. They own Jerich Insurance in Leechburg but live near the Somerset County resort.
It wasn't until the second anniversary that the couple visited the crash site, at which time they offered to volunteer in any way they could. They described volunteering as a hobby, saying they sponsor children through the Make-A-Wish program, in addition to belonging to the Seven Springs and West Leechburg fire departments.
"We enjoy giving back," Stan said. "We get more in return than we give."
For the past seven years, they have volunteered as ambassadors. When they started, they recounted for visitors to the temporary memorial at the crash site the events that led to the plane's crash. Now, with the story of Flight 93 told on the permanent memorial, they answers visitors' questions. They volunteer at the site for two hours every Friday morning.
Of all the memories Emily has of working as an ambassador, she said the most outstanding involves a group of Kansas high school students who arrived in three buses.
"They were on their way to Washington, D.C., to participate in a parade," she said. Before they left, a trumpet player played taps for the crowd.
"I remember the kids saying they went outside on Sept. 11 and saw a halo of clouds over their school," Emily said.
"They later determined the halo was a vapor trail from planes circling above," Stan said.
Stan said he feels a connection and profound sense of remorse for the victims -- 33 passengers and seven crew members -- despite not knowing any of them.
"I can't leave there without saying a prayer for those people," he said.
Patriot Day services scheduled
• Butler County: A minute of remembrance at 1 p.m. Sunday. Local emergency personnel, churches and others are asked to sound sirens and ring bells for one minute, a signal to remember to people lost on 9/11.
• East Vandergrift: A Holy Hour with exposition, the rosary and benediction will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 411 McKinley Ave.
• Fawn: A service of remembrance will be at 9 a.m. Sunday at Millerstown United Methodist Church, 2830 Thompson Road. All emergency responders are welcome.
• Ford City: Ford Memorial United Methodist Church, 1024 Fourth Ave., will have a service of recognition at 10:45 a.m. Sunday for all emergency responders. Details: 724-763-1540.
• Indiana Township: A service of remembrance will be at 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Walter Chapel United Methodist Church, Crawford Run Road. All emergency responders are welcome.
• Kittanning: The Armstrong County Community Foundation will host Armstrong Shares from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at its office at 160 N. McKean St., Kittanning, and from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Books & Beans, 156 Market St., Leechburg. Organizers are asking people to donate 10 items, including personal hygiene items (adult/baby), nonperishable food items; paper products or a gift card for food or a clothing store to benefit Helping All Victims In Need (HAVIN).
• Leechburg: The Leechburg Ministerial Association will sponsor a community memorial service at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company grounds on Canal Street.
• Lower Burrell: The Lower Burrell Clergy Association will sponsor a service at 7 p.m. Sunday at Bethel United Methodist Church, 150 Alder St. The Alle-Kiski Barbershop Chorus, joint church choirs and the Memories Choir will participate.
• Lower Burrell: The American Legion will have a memorial service at 9 a.m. Sunday at the post, 206 Wildlife Lodge Road. State Rep. Eli Evankovich will be the speaker.
• Saxonburg : Several local choirs and musicians will present the annual free "Voices in Praise" concert at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 310 W. Main St.
• South Buffalo : Cornerstone Baptist Bible Church, South Buffalo, and Grace Baptist Church, West Kittanning, will have a service of remembrance at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Cornerstone worship site, 386 Iron Bridge Road. Evangelist Herb Taylor will be the guest speaker.
• Springdale : The Allegheny Valley School District will host an Appreciation Street Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday on Lincoln Avenue outside of Veteran's Field.
• Tarentum : There will be a 911 Remembrance Service at 1 p.m. Sunday in the band shell in Riverview Park.
• Vandergrift : An interdenominational service will be at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Vandergrift Presbyterian Church, 195 Washington Ave.
• Verona : An ecumenical prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at Verona United Presbyterian Church, 566 South Ave.
