History & local legend
Robert Wagstaff began working as a security guard in November 2001 at the field near Shanksville where United Flight 93 had crashed on September 11. During his night shifts, he often sat in his car at the main gate and worked on crossword puzzles. He later described several unexplained encounters to writer Patty Wilson.
On one snowy night, Wagstaff said, a man’s voice spoke inside the car although he was alone. On another occasion, he saw a woman approaching in jeans, a blue baseball jersey and glasses. Her lack of a coat caught his attention in the winter weather. He counted seven steps as she came toward him, looking directly at him.
When Wagstaff reached for the door handle to meet her, she vanished. He told Wilson that he could still picture her face, but did not identify her as any particular person.
Sources
- Patty A. Wilson, The Spirits of Flight 93 — The Watchman’s Words, archived original extended interview in which Robert Wagstaff recounts his night shifts
- The Grave Talks, Spirits of United 93, Patty Wilson’s separate recorded account of interviewing Wagstaff
- National Park Service, Memorial Plaza, site geography and memorial landscape
- National Park Service, Wall of Names and ceremonial gate
- OpenStreetMap, mapped Wall of Names
