It’s been ten years since the world witnessed the horrific events of 11 September 2001. On that crisp, clear morning we watched 2,977 people lose their lives in New York City, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA.
Like Pearl Harbor 70 years ago, most people remember where they were that morning. I am no exception. I had been on a two week vacation visiting family and that Monday was my first day back to work.
Of those killed that day, 67 were from Maryland and of the 184 killed at the Pentagon 11 are from Southern Maryland.The Pentagon was in the midst of a $1.218 billon complete overhaul when Flight 77 struck the west side of the building at 9:37 a.m.On October 18, 2001, Project Phoenix, the rebuilding of the Pentagon, began in earnest and was completed in August 2002.
Chief among the features of the rebuilding is a permanent indoor Pentagon memorial and adjacent chapel, which opened in 2002, and are located at the Flight 77 point of impact.
The Pentagon memorial room has a book with the names and photos of each of the 184 people killed.The chapel’s main feature is a pentagon-shaped art glass window, five feet from point to point and has individual pieces of glass for each of the 184 victims.
Another exhibit within the Pentagon is the display of 9/11 quilts that adorn the hallway leading to the chapel. Schools and quilters from around the country sent the quilts to honor those killed that day.
The outdoor Pentagon memorial groundbreaking was 15 June 2006 and opened to the public September 11, 2008. The outdoor memorial was designed so visitors can distinguish between those killed within the Pentagon and those aboard Flight 77. The cantilevered benches have the names of those killed etched at their ends. When you look at the names of those killed within the Pentagon, you are facing the building. Whereas, when viewing the names of those killed aboard Flight 77 you will see sky. The benches are also organized by age beginning with the youngest, three-year-old Dana Falkenberg to the oldest John D. Yamnicki, 71.
The outdoor memorial is opened to the public 24/7 and is free.I encourage you to visit the outdoor memorial and try to do the inside tour to honor the memory of those who became victims on that terrible day in American history when families lost mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, daughters and sons.
