Pentagon Memorial
National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial | |
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United States of America | |
Coordinates | 38°52′14.052″N 77°3′33.264″W / 38.87057000°N 77.05924000°W |
Established | September 11, 2008 |
Governing body | Pentagon Memorial Fund |
Website | https://pentagonmemorial.org/ |
The Pentagon Memorial, formally the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, located just southwest of the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is a permanent outdoor memorial to the 184 people who died as victims in the building and on American Airlines Flight 77 during the September 11 attacks.[1]
Designed by Julie Beckman and Keith Kaseman of the architectural firm of Kaseman Beckman Advanced Strategies[2] with engineers Buro Happold,[3] the memorial opened on September 11, 2008, seven years after the attack.
Early memorials
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, an impromptu memorial was set up on a hill at the
Victims of Terrorist Attack on the Pentagon Memorial
On September 12, 2002, the day after the first anniversary of the attacks, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and General
America's Heroes Memorial
Opened in September 2002 after Pentagon repairs were completed, the America's Heroes Memorial and chapel are located where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.
The memorial includes a book of photographs and biographies of the victims. It also includes five large black acrylic panels: one displays the Purple Heart medal awarded to military members killed in the attacks, another shows the medal given to civilians, two back wall panels are etched with the victims' names, and a center panel shows tribute statements. The small chapel, located in an adjacent room, has stained glass windows with patriotic-themed designs.
Design and construction
The Pentagon Memorial was constructed from a design by
The design by Beckman and Kaseman consisted of 184 illuminated benches, arranged according to the victims' ages, starting with Dana Falkenberg, age 3, to John Yamnicky Sr., age 71, in a landscaped 1.93-acre (7,800 m2) plot. Each bench is engraved with the name of a victim. The benches representing the victims that were inside the Pentagon are arranged so those reading the names will face the Pentagon's south facade, where the plane hit; benches dedicated to victims aboard the plane are arranged so that those reading the engraved name will be facing skyward along the path the plane traveled. A shallow lighted pool of flowing water is positioned under each memorial bench.[13] If more than one member of a family died during the attack, family names are listed in the reflecting pool under the bench, in addition to the separate benches that have been created for each individual.
A wall along the edge of the Memorial begins at a height of 3 inches (7.6 cm) and rises to a height of 71 inches (180 cm), the ages of the youngest and oldest victim of the attack,
Funding of $13.8 million had been raised for construction of the memorial by May 2007.[16] Donations include $250,000 from American Forests towards planting trees at the memorial,[17] and $1 million from the government of Taiwan.[18]
Construction began on June 15, 2006.[19] By November 2006, site excavation, re-routing of existing utility lines had been completed, and water lines laid for the fountain pools.[20] By May 2007, the foundation of the perimeter wall was built and concrete pilings poured for each bench.[16]
Dedication ceremony
The Memorial was dedicated and opened to the public on September 11, 2008.
Operations
The Memorial is open seven days a week, year-round. It is also the only place on the Pentagon grounds where photography by the public is permitted.[23]
As of August 2011, the memorial had received an annual average of 225,000 to 250,000 visitors.[24]
Anniversary events
To commemorate the anniversary each year, an
Anniversary events also include the America Supports You National Freedom Walk, which has been held on Sundays. The walk starts at the
Memorial services are held on the anniversary of 9/11 at the Pentagon, with one service in an auditorium at the Pentagon for employees. A smaller service is held at the memorial site for family and friends of victims killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.
Gallery
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Temporary chapel created on Pentagon grounds one day after the attack
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Construction of the memorial
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Dedication ceremony marking the start of construction on the Pentagon Memorial
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Construction of the Pentagon Memorial in September 2007
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Dedicating the memorial by uncovering the benches
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Pentagon lit up for 9/11 sixth anniversary
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Pentagon chapel, established inside the building as part of reconstruction following the attack
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Crowd at the dedication ceremony on September 11, 2008
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Just outside the Pentagon Memorial wall and fence lies 9/11 Heroes Memorial Highway (Virginia State Route 27) commemorating those who responded
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The President's wreath honoring the victims of the attack
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A Marine talking with visitors about the memorial
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Names of victims
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The memorial in the evening
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The Pentagon's Tribute in Light seen from the White House on September 11, 2021, 20 years after the attack
See also
- Memorials and services for the September 11 attacks
- Flight 93 National Memorial, Shanksville, Pennsylvania
- National September 11 Memorial & Museum, New York City
- One World Trade Center, New York City
- List of national memorials of the United States
References
- ^ "Pentagon Memorial Project Schedule". Pentagon Renovation Program. Archived from the original on March 13, 2003. Retrieved October 12, 2006.
- ^ Miroff, Nick (September 11, 2008). "Creating a Place Like No Other". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ "Pentagon Memorial". Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ "Mourners memorial rises near Pentagon". The Washington Times. September 19, 2001.
- ^ "Bush says that from 'sorrow has come great resolve'". The Washington Times. October 12, 2001.
- ^ Garamone, Jim (October 11, 2001). "Memorial Service Honors Pentagon Victims". American Forces Press Service.
- ^ Garamone, Jim (October 11, 2001). "Flag at Pentagon Attack Site Lowered, Preserved". American Forces Press Service.
- ^ Garamone, Jim. "Remains of Pentagon Attack Victims Buried at Arlington." American Forces Press Service. September 12, 2002. Archived December 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Accessed September 7, 2011.
- ^ Pusey, Allen. "Final Service Honors Victims of Pentagon Attack." Dallas Morning News. September 13, 2002.
- ^ a b c Cass, Connie. "Cremated Remains of Pentagon Victims Are Laid to Rest at National Cemetery". Associated Press. September 13, 2002.
- ^ "Arlington Funeral Honors Unidentified Victims." CNN.com. September 12, 2002. Archived October 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2011-09-07.
- ^ Garamone, Jim. "Remains of Pentagon Attack Victims Buried at Arlington". American Forces Press Service. Retrieved September 13, 2007.
- ^ Larry Shaughnessy (May 23, 2008). "Nearly complete Pentagon memorial tells story of 9/11". CNN.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ Mike Mount (September 11, 2008). "Pentagon 9/11 memorial honors victims in symbols, concrete". CNN.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ Dwyer, Timothy (June 6, 2006). "Groundbreaking For 9/11 Memorial at Pentagon". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Dwyer, Timothy (May 26, 2007). "Pentagon Memorial Progress Is Step Forward for Families". The Washington Post.
- ^ Killian, Erin (September 7, 2007). "Forestry group donates $250,000 to Pentagon memorial". Washington Business Journal.
- ^ "Joseph Wu visits Pentagon Memorial construction site". Taipei Times. September 9, 2007.
- ^ "Ground Broken for Pentagon 9-11 Memorial". Pentagon Memorial Fund. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2006.
- ^ "Construction Update". Pentagon Memorial Fund. November 13, 2006. Archived from the original on September 16, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
- ^ Wilgoren, Debbie; Nick Miroff; Robin Shulman (September 11, 2008). "Pentagon Memorial Dedicated on 7th Anniversary of Attacks". The Washington Post. WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
- ^ "Pentagon Memorial". Department of Defense. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ "Visitor Services: Pentagon Tours and Memorial: Pentagon Memorial". United States Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Services. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014. For hours of operation, click on "Hours of Operation"; for photography information, click on "Conduct on the Pentagon Reservation". Both are under the "Pentagon Memorial" tab.
- Military Times, August 10, 2011.
- ^ "About the DC Walk". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on September 11, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2007.
External links
- Pentagon Memorial Website
- CNN Story on Pentagon Memorial Design Competition
- From the Inside Out: Sept. 11 Memorialized - DefenseLINK News
- List of victims in the Pentagon Archived November 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- List of victims on American Airlines Flight 77
- Overview of Reflecting Pools and Benches